Paul Runyan
Runyan, circa 1933
Personal information
Full name	Paul Scott Runyan
Nickname	Little Poison
Born	(1908-07-12)July 12, 1908 Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	March 17, 2002(2002-03-17) (aged 93) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight	130 lb (59 kg; 9.3 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
Turned professional	1925
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	37
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	29
Other	8
Best results in major championships (wins:2)
Masters Tournament	3rd/T3:1934,1942
PGA Championship	Won:1934,1938
U.S. Open	T5:1941
The Open Championship	T18: 1961
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 1990(member page) PGA Tour leading money winner 1934

Paul Scott Runyan (July 12, 1908 – March 17, 2002) was an Americanprofessional golfer. Among the world's best players in the mid-1930s, he won twoPGA Championships and is a member of theWorld Golf Hall of Fame. Runyan was also a golf instructor.

Runyan was born inHot Springs, Arkansas. He started out as acaddie and then an apprentice at agolf course in his hometown.

Runyan turned pro at the age of 17. He was head professional at aLittle Rock club by age 18.^[1] Runyan served as head pro at Metropolis Country Club inWhite Plains, New York from 1931 to 1943 during which time he won both of hisPGA Championships.

In 1934, Runyan defeatedCraig Wood in extra holes in the title match of thePGA Championship, the first of his twoPGA Championships. Of Runyan's 29 careerPGA Tour wins, 16 of them came in 1933 and 1934, and his nine wins in 1933 make him one of only seven golfers to win nine or more times in one year on the PGA Tour. In the firstMasters Tournament in1934, he was paired for the first 36 holes with tournament hostBobby Jones. Runyan won the tour money title in 1934, and was a member of the U.S.Ryder Cup team in1933 and1935.

Runyan was competitive for many years; he won the PGA Championship again in1938 and led theU.S. Open after three rounds as late as1951. In the finals of his 1938 PGA, Runyan defeatedSam Snead 8 and 7, the most lopsided title match ever in the event, conducted as match play through1957. This was despite Snead's vastly greater length off the tee, as much as 75 yards (70 m) per hole.^[1]

Fellow golfers nicknamed him "Little Poison" (a take on 1930s baseball playerLloyd Waner, who had the same nickname), primarily because he did not drive the ball very far, but also because he had a terrific short game. Runyan had worked tirelessly on his short game from boyhood, since he realized early on if he were to succeed in golf, he had to compensate for his lack of length. Runyan opined that he is the smallest player in golf history who had significant success,^[1] althoughFred McLeod had a fine record, too, and stood only 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) and weighed a paltry 108 lb (49 kg; 7.7 st).

Runyan's teaching prowess led many top pros to him over his 75 years of teaching, includingGene Littler,Phil Rodgers, Chuck Courtney,Frank Beard,Jim Ferree andMickey Wright.Golf Magazine wrote: "... since the late 1930s, he has probably been the most influential short game instructor. Untold thousands have been taught his methods for putting and chipping." Runyan wrote an influential book outlining his short-game methods,The Short Way to Lower Scoring.

He appeared as a contestant on the October 25, 1950, edition ofYou Bet Your Life where he tells an anecdote of hitting a spectator with his ball and in another competition his partner hits the same man.

Runyan was the first head golf professional atSahalee Country Club inSammamish, Washington and served from 1968 to 1971. He also attended the1998 PGA Championship held at Sahalee.

In 2000, he completed the annual Par 3 competition held one day before the Masters at the age of 91.

In 2002, Runyan died inPalm Springs, California.^[2]

• In 1990, Runyan was inducted into theWorld Golf Hall of Fame.
• Runyan received theHarvey Penick Lifetime Teaching Award
• In 1998, he received thePGA of America Distinguished Service Award.
• In addition, he is a member of the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Hall of Fame and The Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame.

• 1930 (2)North and South Open,New Jersey Open
• 1931 (2)Metropolitan PGA,Westchester Open
• 1932 (1)Gasparilla Open Match Play
• 1933 (9)Agua Caliente Open,Miami Biltmore Open (March), Virginia Beach Cavalier Open, Eastern Open Championship,National Capital Open, Mid-South Pro-Pro (withWillie Macfarlane), Mid-South Open (tie withWillie Macfarlane andJoe Turnesa),Miami International Four-Ball (withHorton Smith),Pasadena Open
• 1934 (6)St. Petersburg Open, Florida West Coast Open,Tournament of the Gardens Open, The Cavalier Open,Metropolitan Open,PGA Championship
• 1935 (4)North and South Open, Grand Slam Open,Westchester Open,Metropolitan PGA
• 1936 (2)Westchester Open,Metropolitan PGA
• 1938 (1)PGA Championship
• 1939 (1)Westchester Open
• 1941 (1)Goodall Round Robin

Major championships are shown inbold.

this list is probably incomplete

• 1934Westchester Open
• 1938Argentine Open
• 1942Westchester Open
• 1947Southern California PGA Championship

• 1961PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship
• 1962PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship

Year	Championship	Winning score	Runner-up
1934	PGA Championship	38 holes	Craig Wood
1938	PGA Championship	8 & 7	Sam Snead

Note: The PGA Championship wasmatch play through1957

NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
DQ = disqualified
DNQ = did not qualify for match play portion
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

• Most consecutive cuts made – 33 (1933 PGA – 1952 U.S. Open)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 6 (1934 PGA – 1936 U.S. Open)

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
• Most PGA Tour wins in a year

• Paul Runyan at theWorld Golf Hall of Fame

• American male golfers
• PGA Tour golfers
• Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
• Winners of men's major golf championships
• World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
• American golf instructors
• American golf writers
• Golfers from Arkansas
• Golfers from New York (state)
• Sportspeople from Hot Springs, Arkansas
• 1908 births
• 2002 deaths

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from January 2024