Small & Benzel Reflect on PGA Championship Performances

Mike Small bogeyed the 18th hole in the final round of the 89th PGA Championship, then climbed the hill to the scoring building at Southern Hills Country Club. Just before he entered the door, he bent down and tried to catch his breath in the shade.

"That is the most I've ever sweated in my life," said the 41-year-old head golf coach of the University of Illinois after a closing 5-over-par 75. "I was hanging on. I almost missed the 6-iron on the last hole."

Small, however, hung on long enough during the year's final major, where 100-degree temperatures were the norm. His 16-over-par 296 total for 72 holes tied him for 69th in the 156-player field, worth $13,050, and earned him the Low PGA Golf Professional crystal bowl.

A closing bogey Sunday was the margin that Small needed to edge Ryan Benzel of Bothell, Wash., by a stroke. Benzel, a 28-year-old assistant at Seattle Country Club, birdied three of the final four holes for a 74 and 297 total. Small and Benzel were the only members of the 20-member PGA golf professional contingent at Southern Hills to make the 36-hole cut of 5-over-par 145.

Nearly six hours later, Small stood before a raucous gallery and a worldwide television audience and watched as Tiger Woods sealed his 13th career major title. "That was the coolest thing that I've ever done in golf," said Small. "It was something I'll never forget."

Benzel was one of just 13 players to record three birdies in a row during a round at Southern Hills. On Sunday, he was paired with Southern Hills' head pro Dave Bryan, who served as the "marker." Bryan filled a vacancy in the field after the Saturday disqualification of Sergio Garcia had trimmed the final competitors to 71.

"I think we enjoyed each other's company," said Bryan. "Ryan played very well on the back side. I was happy to be with him. This was my third major, but all have been as markers. I also filled in at the 1994 and 2001 Opens."

Benzel paid tribute to Small, who will be one of his teammates on the U.S. Team in the PGA Cup, September 20-23, at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. "He played a lot more steady than I did," Benzel said. "I felt like I was a little more relaxed, and kind of found my golf swing a little bit today. Playing in front of the people was fun. I had family here, and my dad (Bruce), was the caddie. Walking along with him was pretty fun as well."

It was the end of an exhausting week for Small, who had spent three days practicing at Southern Hills before returning to Glenview, Ill., on Monday to compete in the Illinois Open. Small won the Illinois Open for the third consecutive year on Wednesday afternoon, earning $19,919. A rain delay that day forced Small to choose between staying and facing a possible playoff or making his flight to Southern Hills.

He elected to forfeit the title and settle for second place. But, all of that changed within a couple hours. He was notified by the time he reached O'Hare International Airport that his closing 66 was good for a one-stroke victory. "It was a busy week. I had three practice rounds here in this heat in a row and I played seven straight days," said Small, who also made the cut in the 2005 PGA Championship. "So, that's 10 straight days. I'm ready to put them up for awhile. It proved that I've got some game. It's not as strong as I want it to be. I like to improve on the weekend. To make the cut in two majors, it's kind of nice to have."

Small said he was pleased to accomplish a goal of playing through the weekend. "There's a lot of great players in the PGA of America," he said. "We've all chosen a different path to support our families and our careers, which is what we wanted to do. Nobody has made us do it. But, we can still play and carry ourselves. I made the cut in two of them and missed the cut last year by one shot. So, I'm competitive. I've just got to get better on the weekends. There's something about it. I don't know if it's the fatigue, the pace of play or something. I've got to figure that out."

Here's how the 20 PGA golf professionals fared in the 89th PGA Championship.

Place, Results, Earnings

T-69. Mike Small, Champaign, Ill. 73-70-78-75-296 $13,050
71. Ryan Benzel, Bothell, Wash. 71-72-80-74-297 $12,900


Did Not Make 36-Hole Cut

Brad Lardon, Bryan, Texas 70-76-146 $2,500
Phil Schmitt, Baton Rouge, La. 79-68-147 $2,500
Kelly Mitchum, Southern Pines, N.C. 77-72-149 $2,500
Tim Thelen, College Station, Texas 74-75-149 $2,500
John O'Leary, Reston, Va. 75-77-152 $2,500
Robert Gaus, St. Louis, Mo. 78-76-154 $2,500
Scott Hebert, Traverse City, Mich. 79-76-155 $2,500
Kevin Burton, Boise, Idaho 79-76-155 $2,500
Butch Sheehan, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 82-74-156 $2,500
Matt Call, Castle Rock, Colo. 81-76-157 $2,500
Bill Amundsen, Black River Falls, Wis. 76-81-157 $2,500
Don Yrene, Scottsdale, Ariz. 80-78-158 $2,500
Chip Sullivan, Troutville, Va. 78-80-158 $2,500
Bob McGrath, San Jose, Calif. 80-78-158 $2,500
Micah Rudosky, Cortez, Colo. 83-76-159 $2,500
Erik Wolf, Palm Desert, Calif. 83-77-160 $2,500
Greg Bisconti, South Salem, N.Y. 82-79-161 $2,500
Matt Seitz, Hutchinson, Kan. 83-81-164 $2,500