The Bismarck tribune., 1933-04-11
Former Assistant At Fargo
Country Club Youngest Mem.
Der Of Ryder Team
ny ART KRENZ
NEA Sefyice SnoftS Writer

Paul Runyan, the New Yorker
youngest member Of the Ryder Cup
team ;. Is the same Paul Runyan
who used to caddy out at Little
Rock, Ark, where he was born July
u, 1908.
Runyan never played tournament
golf as an amateur. As early Is
1926, when he was II, he began
teaching the methods Of correcting
hooks and slices. His first profess
sional Job was at the Concordia g. O,
at Little Rock, In 1927. He stay
ed on the job until 1880. He also
was an assistant professional at the
Fargo, N. D., Country club.
Today Runyan gives more lessons
than any other travelling profession
al, averaging about 1000 lessons .
summer at q rate Of a an hour.
y 4
In the spring Of 1880 Runyan won
his first major title, the North and
South Open at Pinehurst. He fol-
lowed up by q win in the Jersey
Open. In 1881 he won the Metropol-
itan p. q. A. and the GaSpartlla
Open in 1882.
His game rounded into top form
early this spring with which he won
the $4,000 Aqua Caliente Open, the
Miami Four Ball with Horton Smith
as partner, and the first tourna-
ment with the six-inch cups, the
Florida Year.Round Open. He con.
tinued his excellent play during the
~v,~lS.~ $S,na, ,&n,p<k o,4a n,Aad 1.le Ss,Sv4 =
ter campaign by winning the final
tournament Of the season at Virginia
Beach, bringing his winnings for the
tour to more than 5000.
The average player making the
swing around the circuit during the
winter has all he can do to break
even, says Paul. The expenses Of q
single player comes close to $1,700.
A married man spends 5000 or bet
ter.
This year will find Paul making
his second attempt at q National
title. He received his baptism Of
fire In the National Open at Fresh
Meadows last year, where he finish
ed twelfth. This makes him eligible
for the open at the North Shore
G. c.. Glen View, ILL.,, June 8-10,
without going through the prelimin-
aries Of qualifying.
Asked about the American teams
chances to win the Ryder Cup
matches, Paul said he was confident
that the American team would re-
turn victorious and that one Of the
American contingent would cop the
British Open. American golf Is on
q higher scale than British, says
Paul. American pros regard golf as
. Job requiring training and good
physical condition. One must keep
early hours to compete In two or
three tournaments week.
Runyan Is much In favor Of SIX
inch cups. The larger cup not only
affects q players game on the put
ting green but speeds up the game
considerably. He win try to have
the greens committee at his home
club adopt the cup for play over the
week-ends and on days when the
course Is crowded.
a NO. iron ana the spoon are MS
favorite clubs, with the nod going
to the spoon. With this club he has
no equal. Runyan isn't exceptionally
long off the tee and often must de-
pend on his spoon to reach q green
where others would use an iron.
When playing q spoon shot, Paul
uses the overlapping grip. with the
w" formed by the index finger and
the thumb pointing over each shoul-
der. The bali Is played q bit further
back toward the right foot than for
the drive, but the swing Is much the
same. When the ball has found .
cuppy or close lie, the bali should be
played still further back toward the
right foot and the swing should be
like IN iron shot.