The 1938 PGA Championship was the 21st PGA Championship, held July 10–16 at Shawnee Country Club in Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania.
Then a match play championship, Paul Runyan won his second PGA Championship, defeating the favored Sam Snead 8 and 7. Nicknamed "Little Poison," Runyan was one of the shorter hitters on tour, while Snead was one of the longest. Runyan was five holes up after the morning round, then needed just eleven holes to finish off Snead, the largest victory margin ever in the match play finals of the PGA Championship. Snead won only one of the 29 holes, the 24th, which Runyan bogeyed. Runyan's victory four years earlier in 1934 took 38 holes to decide.
Two-time defending champion Denny Shute lost in the third round to semifinalist Jimmy Hines.
The course, now The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, is on an island in the Delaware River, east of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Format The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1938 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days: Sunday and Monday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day; defending champion Denny Shute and top 63 professionals advanced to match play Tuesday – first two rounds, 18 holes each Wednesday – third round – 36 holes Thursday – quarterfinals – 36 holes Friday – semifinals – 36 holes Saturday – final – 36 holes
Final results Saturday, July 16, 1938 PlacePlayerMoney ($)1 Paul Runyan 1,1002 Sam Snead 600T3 Jimmy Hines 350 Henry PicardT5 Jim Foulis 250 Byron Nelson Gene Sarazen Horton Smith Source:
Final eight bracket
Final match scorecards Morning Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718Par445434544 543444353 Runyan444334544532444343 Snead445334545543445343 Leader ––R1R1R1R1R1R1R2R2R3R4R4R4R5R5R5R5
Afternoon Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718Par445434544 543444353 Runyan43443553444Runyan wins8 and 7 Snead44543454454 Leader R5R6R7R7R7R6R6R7R7R8R8 Source: {|class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%; |- |style="background:Pink; width:10px;"| |Birdie |style="background:PaleGreen; width:10px;"| |Bogey
Video You Tube – 1938 PGA Championship final
References
External links PGA Championship Media Guide 2015 PGA.com – 1938 PGA Championship