Little Poison: Runyan, Snead, and the 1938 PGA Championship Upset | University of Nebraska Press

Little Poison invites readers into a landmark moment in golf history: a pint-sized Arkansas farm boy named Paul Runyan toppled the legendary Sam Snead in the 1938 PGA Championship finals, a victory that reshaped the public's imagination of what a player could achieve on a national stage. The imagery is vivid -- the rough edges of a small-town upbringing, the clack of clubs, and the hush that falls when a championship title hangs in the balance.

Rooted in the Depression era, this narrative blends competitive drama with a revealing portrait of technique, perseverance, and the evolution of the short game. Runyan's win was not just a scoreline; it was a demonstration of precision, nerve, and strategic play that even Snead's prodigious power could not overcome. The book situates that final against the textures of travel, weather, and the particular challenges of the era.

What you will gain from this book

• Insights into an underdog story that became golf legend, illustrated with match-by-match detail.
• A close look at Runyan's approach to the short game, taught across a career that spanned championships and coaching.
• Context on the era from farm greens to navy service that shaped a stubborn, relentless work ethic.

Additional context you will find

The book traces Runyan's ascent from anonymity to stardom, and then into golf mythology, underscored by practical lessons and entertaining anecdotes about competition, travel, and the demands of the game during hard times. The narrative moves through his 29 PGA victories and a separate major, while also honoring the quieter, later years when he taught the craft that once propelled him to fame.

• The narrative notes 29 PGA tournament victories and a 1934 major, illustrating consistency and resilience.
• It describes Runyan's Navy service and postwar exhibitions to entertain troops, which helped fund important relief efforts.
• It highlights his revolutionary short game philosophy and its influence on players and instructors; ideas that redefined finesse around the greens.

Why this reading matters today. For golf enthusiasts, historians, and curious readers alike, the book offers a textured narrative about strategy, resilience, and craft under pressure. It also highlights how perseverance and technique can coexist with natural talent, offering a framework for thinking about skill development in any field.

• Shortlisted for the 2023 Herbert Warren Wind Book Award, signaling recognition among golf historians.
• Engaging storytelling that blends factual detail with human moments, from the crack of a club to the hush before a pivotal putt.

Set against memorable landscapes from oiled-sand greens on a rural course to the bustle of postwar golf instruction, Little Poison invites you to reconsider what it takes to excel when odds seem stacked against you, and to savor a narrative that lingers beyond the last hole.