Paul Runyan

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

Early life

Runyan was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He started out as a caddie and then an apprentice at a golf course in his hometown.

Professional career

Runyan turned pro at the age of 17. He was head professional at a Little Rock club by age 18. Runyan served as head pro at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York from 1931 to 1943 during which time he won both of his PGA Championships.

In 1934, Runyan defeated Craig Wood in extra holes in the title match of the PGA Championship, the first of his two PGA Championships. Of Runyan's 29 career PGA 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 first Masters Tournament in 1934, he was paired for the first 36 holes with tournament host Bobby Jones. Runyan won the tour money title in 1934, and was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1933 and 1935.

Runyan was competitive for many years; he won the PGA Championship again in 1938 and led the U.S. Open after three rounds as late as 1951. In the finals of his 1938 PGA, Runyan defeated Sam Snead 8 and 7, the most lopsided title match ever in the event, conducted as match play through 1957. This was despite Snead's vastly greater length off the tee, as much as per hole.

Awards and honors

In 1990, Runyan was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Runyan received the Harvey Penick Lifetime Teaching Award
In 1998, he received the PGA 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.

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (29)

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 (with Willie Macfarlane), Mid-South Open (tie with Willie Macfarlane and Joe Turnesa), Miami International Four-Ball (with Horton 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 in bold.

Source:

Other wins

this list is probably incomplete

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

Senior wins

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

Major championships

Wins (2)

{|class="wikitable"

!Year!!Championship!!Winning score!!Runner-up

|-style="background:#D8BFD8;"

| align=center|1934 || PGA Championship || align=center|38 holes || Craig Wood

|-style="background:#D8BFD8;"

| align=center|1938 || PGA Championship || align=center|8 & 7 || Sam Snead

Note: The PGA Championship was match play through 1957

Results timeline

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1928

!1929

|align=left|U.S. Open

|63

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1930

!1931

!1932

!1933

!1934

!1935

!1936

!1937

!1938

!1939

|align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF

|style="background:yellow;"|T3

|style="background:yellow;"|7

|style="background:yellow;"|T4

|T19

|style="background:yellow;"|4

|T16

|align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T12

|DQ

|T28

|style="background:yellow;"|T10

|style="background:yellow;"|T8

|T14

|style="background:yellow;"|T7

|style="background:yellow;"|T9

|align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|R16

|R32

|style="background:yellow;"|QF

|style="background:lime;"|1

|style="background:yellow;"|QF

|R64

|style="background:yellow;"|R16

|style="background:lime;"|1

|style="background:yellow;"|QF

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1940

!1941

!1942

!1943

!1944

!1945

!1946

!1947

!1948

!1949

|align=left|Masters Tournament

|T12

|T35

|style="background:yellow;"|3

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|U.S. Open

|49

|style="background:yellow;"|T5

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|21

|style="background:yellow;"|T6

|T53

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:yellow;"|QF

|R64

|DNQ

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|DNQ

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1950

!1951

!1952

!1953

!1954

!1955

!1956

!1957

!1958

!1959

|align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|T35

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|U.S. Open

|T25

|style="background:yellow;"|T6

|T22

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|PGA Championship

|R64

|DNQ

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1960

!1961

!1962

!1963

!1964

!1965

!1966

!1967

!1968

!1969

|align=left|Masters Tournament

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|U.S. Open

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T18

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|WD

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1970

!1971

!1972

!1973

!1974

|align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|WD

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

Summary

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center

!Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made

|align=left|Masters Tournament || 0 || 0 || 2 || 4 || 5 || 8 || 12 || 10

|align=left|U.S. Open || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 7 || 12 || 21 || 16

|align=left|The Open Championship || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 3 || 1

|align=left|PGA Championship || 2 || 0 || 0 || 6 || 8 || 9 || 16 || 12

!Totals !! 2 !! 0 !! 2 !! 11 !! 20 !! 30 !! 52 !! 39

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

Early life

Professional career

Awards and honors

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (29)

Other wins

Senior wins

Major championships

Wins (2)

Results timeline

Summary

See also

References

External links