1938 PGA Championship: Paul Runyan wins at Shawnee Country Club
Paul Runyan won the 1938 PGA Championship at Shawnee Country Club in Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania, beating Sam Snead 8 & 7 in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1938 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- July 10, 1938 to July 16, 1938
- Course
- Shawnee Country Club, Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania
- Edition
- 21st PGA Championship
- Format
- match play
- Par
- 72
- Field
- 64
- Match-play field
- 64 · 18 (rounds of 64 and 32); 36 from round of 16
- Stroke-play medalist
- Frank Moore (136)
- Purse
- $10,000 · winner's share $1,100
- Champion
- Paul Runyan · age 30 · United States · born Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Champion's title
- 2nd PGA Championship
- Final
- 8 & 7 (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Sam Snead
The draw as recorded: Round of 64 to final (complete).
The final, 1938 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Runyan | def. | Sam Snead | 8 & 7 |
Semifinals, 1938 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Runyan | def. | Henry Picard | 4 & 3 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Jimmy Hines | 1 up |
Quarterfinals, 1938 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Runyan | def. | Horton Smith | 4 & 3 |
| Henry Picard | def. | Gene Sarazen | 3 & 2 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Jim Foulis | 8 & 7 |
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Byron Nelson | 2 & 1 |
Round of 16, 1938 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Denny Shute | 2 & 1 |
| Byron Nelson | def. | Harry Bassler | 11 & 10 |
| Jim Foulis | def. | Marvin Stahl | 6 & 5 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Felix Serafin | 4 & 3 |
| Horton Smith | def. | Billy Burke | 3 & 2 |
| Paul Runyan | def. | Ray Mangrum | won on 37th hole |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Jimmy Demaret | won on 38th hole |
| Henry Picard | def. | Dick Metz | 4 & 3 |
Round of 32, 1938 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Shute | def. | John Thoren | 7 & 6 |
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Frank Walsh | 2 & 1 |
| Byron Nelson | def. | Alvin Krueger | won on 20th hole |
| Harry Bassler | def. | Ed Dudley | 4 & 3 |
| Marvin Stahl | def. | George Whitehead | 6 & 5 |
| Jim Foulis | def. | Jimmy Thomson | 1 up |
| Sam Snead | def. | Terl Johnson | 4 & 3 |
| Felix Serafin | def. | Ky Laffoon | 3 & 2 |
| Billy Burke | def. | Frank Moore | won on 19th hole |
| Horton Smith | def. | Leo Diegel | 2 & 1 |
| Ray Mangrum | def. | Harold McSpaden | won on 20th hole |
| Paul Runyan | def. | Tony Manero | 3 & 2 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Harry Nettlebladt | 6 & 5 |
| Jimmy Demaret | def. | Johnny Revolta | 2 up |
| Henry Picard | def. | Bob Shave | 3 & 2 |
| Dick Metz | def. | Ralph Guldahl | 1 up |
Round of 64, 1938 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Shute | def. | Clyde Usina | 3 & 2 |
| John Thoren | def. | Leo Mallory | 4 & 2 |
| Frank Walsh | def. | Tony Butler | 2 & 1 |
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Alex Watson | 3 & 1 |
| Byron Nelson | def. | Clarence Yockey | 5 & 4 |
| Alvin Krueger | def. | Ian Robertson | 2 & 1 |
| Ed Dudley | def. | Johnny Farrell | 3 & 2 |
| Harry Bassler | def. | Alex Gerlak | 2 up |
| Marvin Stahl | def. | Clarence Clark | 4 & 3 |
| George Whitehead | def. | Gene Marchi | won on 19th hole |
| Jimmy Thomson | def. | Guy Paulsen | 5 & 4 |
| Jim Foulis | def. | Willie Goggin | 1 up |
| Sam Snead | def. | Frank Champ | 4 & 3 |
| Terl Johnson | def. | Henry Ransom | 2 & 1 |
| Felix Serafin | def. | Harry Cooper | 4 & 3 |
| Ky Laffoon | def. | Alex Follmer | 1 up |
| Frank Moore | def. | Errie Ball | won on 19th hole |
| Billy Burke | def. | Willie Klein | 2 & 1 |
| Horton Smith | def. | Mike DeMassey | 2 & 1 |
| Leo Diegel | def. | Francis Gallett | 2 & 1 |
| Ray Mangrum | def. | Ted Luther | 3 & 2 |
| Harold McSpaden | def. | Sam Parks Jr. | 3 & 2 |
| Paul Runyan | def. | Levi Lynch | 5 & 4 |
| Tony Manero | def. | Joe Belfore | 5 & 4 |
| Harry Nettlebladt | def. | John Kinder | 4 & 3 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Leo Walper | 4 & 3 |
| Jimmy Demaret | def. | Frank Rodio | 5 & 4 |
| Johnny Revolta | def. | Wiffy Cox | 4 & 3 |
| Henry Picard | def. | Andrew Gibson | 3 & 2 |
| Bob Shave | def. | Leo Fraser | 4 & 3 |
| Dick Metz | def. | Dick Renagan | 4 & 3 |
| Ralph Guldahl | def. | John Malutic | 4 & 2 |
What happened at the 1938 PGA Championship
Runyan beat Snead 8 & 7, the largest winning margin in any PGA Championship final.
Snead won only one of the 29 holes played in the final.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's PGA Championship data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: pga.json (the PGA Championship room's data: Tables 1A–1H and 2B, every recorded match).