GOOD ENOUGH Lamenting a lack of time to adequately prepare for tournament , Mike Small nevertheless managed to win another Professional National Championship

By Rich Skyzinski

f Mike Small is this good without preparation, imagine how much he might win when he has his game in tip-top shape. As the calendar turned from June to July, the 43-year-old ISmall won the PGA Professional National Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. That, in and of itself, wouldn’t be much of a surprise since Small now has been no worse than fourth in five of his six starts at the PNC.

32 | CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER PNC HISTORY Here’s a year-by-year record of Mike Small’s performance good. But it is what it is. It’s But Mark Sheftic, a teaching at the Professional National Championship: kind of shocking to be professional at famed Merion Golf YEAR SCORES PAR PLACE EARNINGS standing here (with the Club in Ardmore, Pa., hit his approach 2004 66-72-70-69—277 -11 2 $39,000 trophy), but I’ll take it.” over the green and chipped just short, Five different players had at leaving himself with a 7-foot par 2005 73-76-71-69—278 -10 1 67,000 least a share of the lead in the putt that he missed. Then Steve 2006 69-68-70-74—281 -7 4 27,500 final round. Two of them came Schneiter, a 45-year-old assistant 2007 70-67-75-73—285 -3 T2 41,000 to the 72nd hole with a chance professional from Sandy, Utah, 2008 72-74-74-70—290 +2 T41 2,915 to get into a playoff after Small, narrowly missed on a 35-foot birdie playing in the next-to-last putt try. Schneiter, ironically, also was 2009 70-71-68-68—277 -7 1 75,000 group, posted a final-round 68 runner-up when the Professional and a 7-under-par total of 277. National Championship was played at But Small traveled to the Twin Warriors in Southwest with virtually no 2003. preparation. As head coach of the “I just kind of men’s golf team at the University of hung on at the Illinois, Small’s college season ended end,” said Small. only three weeks earlier as the Illini “On this golf won their first Big Ten title in more course, at this than 20 years—since Small and Steve altitude and in Stricker played on the team—and this heat, guys qualified to play in the NCAA kind of come Championship. backward and I “I think I’ve actually played in kind of outlasted three one-day tournaments this year, them, I think. before I came here,” he explained. “Yeah, I’m sur- “I haven’t played a multi-day prised,” continued tournament since November. But I’m Small. “I thought around the game. I’m around players, I’d have to shoot better players, so I’m in the game. 65 or 66 today to “But I didn’t have great aspirations win. You never this week. I wasn’t seasoned; I wasn’t know. I just stayed ready to go. Your guess as to how I around. I talked to would play was as good as mine. I a sports psych- just stayed positive and played better ologist that works every day. I made some mistakes, but with the team each day I eliminated a few of those.” Small has hoisted and he said, the PNC trophy It might seem reasonable to assume WHAT HE GETS twice since 2005. ‘Hang around, that, in his position, Small has all the hang around. You practice time he needs and playing For his victory at the PGA Professional don’t have to go with younger players is beneficial. But National Championship, Mike Small get it every time.’ Sometimes funny that’s not the case. receives: things happen.” “I don’t play with my team very • First-place purse of $75,000. Before the PGA Championship, to be much,” Small said. “It’s just not good • An exemption from qualifying for played later this month at Hazeltine for my game to play with them; I’m the 2009 PGA Championship. National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., worried about their games too much. I • An exemption from qualifying for Small said he would turn his attention played with them maybe half a dozen the next 10 Professional National to the Illinois PGA and the Illinois times this semester. But I’m around Championships. Open, events he has dominated in them, and when you’re around college • A spot on the 2009 U.S. PGA Cup recent years. Small, who won the Big kids it keeps you young. team. (The PGA Cup is an Ten coach of the year honor this year for “I honestly think they’re going to international competition the second time, has won seven Illinois featuring a team of club and look at this and say, ‘How on earth did PGAs, including every one since 2003, teaching professionals from Coach win because he’s been hitting it the U.S. against a team from and four Illinois Opens. so bad for about a year?’ They’d been Great Britain and Ireland.) And, undoubtedly, he’ll be plenty making fun of me, really, but I made • Entry into six PGA Tour events. tough since now he’ll have some time some adjustments last week and hit it to practice.

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