Runyan, Paul
Golf
b. July 12, 1908, Hot Springs, AR
d. March 17, 2002
Runyan's golfing style was defined by his victory in the 1938 PGA Championship. In the 36-hole final, Sam Snead outdrove him by as much as 50 yards on some holes, but Runyan's great iron shots and fine putting brought him an easy win, 8 and 7.
He played in some tournaments in 1931 and 1932, then joined the PGA tour full-time 1933. Runyan won a total of seven tournaments in two years and was the tour's top money-winner in 1934. He beat Craig Wood 1-up in the 1934 PGA Championship.
For the rest of his career, Runyan was eclipsed by such great players as Snead, Byron Nelson, and Ben Hogan. However, he was greatly respected as a teacher, and many professional golfers came to him for help when their games were going badly.
Runyan won the PGA Senior championship in 1961 and 1962.