Smalls Wins another PGA Professional National Championship

Forgive Mike Small if he wasn't hanging on his cell phone Wednesday afternoon to mark the first day that college golf coaches can contact recruits. The 2009 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year was playing hooky by winning a second PGA Professional National Championship.

You're off the hook, Coach.

The 43-year-old Small arrived in the showcase event for PGA Professionals with what he called a "so-so" game the past few months and a bad back that caused him fits the night before the opening round. Yet, he rallied on the back nine at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., while those ahead of him on the leader board backed up.

He closed with a 3-under-par 68 for a one-stroke victory over third-round leader Mark Sheftic of Ambler, Pa., and 1995 champion Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah.

"I didn't come into this week with any expectations; I've finished second twice and come from behind twice to win now. I guess I've shocked myself," said Small, whose winning total of 7-under-par 277 earned him $75,000 from a $550,000 purse and made him one of only four players to win two or more PGA Professional National championships.

The shock for Small wasn't complete until Sheftic and Schneiter, playing a group behind, had missed in their bid on the 18th green to force a playoff. Small heard from PGA officials on the practice range that he was a champion once more.

The drama back on the 18th green came in stages, while Small had warmed up by hitting a few practice balls.

Sheftic, a PGA teaching professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., hit an 8-iron approach just over the green and chipped just short, leaving himself with a testy a six-foot par putt. His putt ran just past the hole. "I think my nerves got the best of me today," said Sheftic, who was making his debut. "But it felt so good to play this week and I won't complain."

Schneiter, a 45-year-old PGA assistant professional at Schneiter's Pebblebrook Links, saw his 35-foot birdie putt run two feet past the cup. Schneiter also finished runner-up by a stroke at Twin Warriors when it hosted the 2003 event. "I had a chance, but made double [bogey] at 12, bounced back with birdies at 13 and 16, but the three-putt at 17 was the story," he said.

Small, the lone Illinois PGA Section member to win this title, has a glossy record since his debut in 2004, including a 70.79 scoring average. He finished runner-up in 2004, won in 2005, was fourth in 2006, shared second in 2007 and tied for 41st in 2008. He birdied the 13th and 16th holes and came to the 18th green facing a potential winning 35-foot uphill birdie putt. His putt just slipped by the left edge of the hole.

"I made a nice putt there, and that was good," said Small, "because I didn't hit many great putts coming in and it was nice to hit a good putt. I guess this came out of nowhere. I didn't think about winning this until yesterday. I haven't had much time to digest it yet."

Small got the boost he needed to stabilize his round and make the title run. It came on the 584-yard 16th hole. He hit a 230-yard 4-iron approach to within 15 feet of the hole. "I hit a great shot at 16," said Small. "It was a quieting shot for me. It quieted me down. I didn't hit the eagle putt well, but I ended up with a birdie. It seemed like everyone was bunched up all day out there. But in the end, in this altitude, on that course and the heat, they kind of came back to me. I guess I kind of outlasted them."

While Small was dueling for a title against Sheftic and Schneiter, there were other sub-plots that made this Championship one of the more memorable in its 42-year history.

Lee Rinker of Jupiter, Fla., who had not made a cut in two years after finishing third in 2006, closed with a 71 to share fourth at 279 with Craig Thomas of White Plains, N.Y., Ryan Benzel of Bothell, Wash., and Eric Lippert of Marina, Calif.

Tim Weinhart of Suwanee, Ga., who had vaulted to take the Championship lead midway through the round at 8-under-par, wilted coming home and closed with a 70, and finished tied for eighth with Keith Dicciani of White Plains, N.Y., Grant Sturgeon of Pittsburgh, Pa., Bob Gaus of St. Louis, and Todd Lancaster of Aurora, Ohio.

Thomas and Dicciani registered a Championship rarity, coming from the same golf club to earn one of 20 berths in the 91st PGA Championship. Thomas is the PGA head professional and Dicciani an assistant at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, N.Y. Dicciani is engaged to Thomas' stepdaughter.

Sturgeon, however, was the story of the championship for his gutsy comeback from an opening-round 79. The assistant professional at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, closed with a 69 for his third consecutive round in the 60s. He also made the cut on Monday night, thanks to a hole-in-one and a final-hole birdie. "I usually hit the ball well and I played so uptight the first day like I had something to lose," said Sturgeon, "but I had not won anything to lose yet. I fought back and am happy with how I finished."

The PGA Professional National Championship featured 312 players representing 43 states and 41 PGA Sections. The low 20 scorers earn a berth in the 91st PGA Championship, Aug. 13-16, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. The final round also determined the 10 members of this year's United States Team, which faces Great Britain & Ireland in the 24th PGA Cup, Sept. 18-20, at The Carrick in Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Established in 1968, The PGA Professional National Championship roster of winners includes past and present Tour professionals Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Don Massengale, Ed Dougherty, Larry Gilbert, Bruce Fleisher and Bob Sowards.

Final Round Scores

42nd PGA Professional National Championship
Twin Warriors Golf Club - 7493 yards / Par 71
Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.

Mike Small, Champaign, Ill., $75,000 70-71-68-68--277
Mark Sheftic, Ambler, Pa., $41,000 67-68-70-73--278
Steve Schneiter, Sandy, Utah, $41,000 71-69-67-71--278
Craig Thomas, White Plains, N.Y., $22,237.50 69-72-70-68--279
Ryan Benzel, Bothell, Wash., $22,237.50 69-74-67-69--279
Eric Lippert, Marina, Calif., $22,237.50 73-71-65-70--279
Lee Rinker, Jupiter, Fla., $22,237.50 71-69-68-71--279
Robert Gaus, St. Louis, Mo., $13,500 72-69-71-68--280
Grant Sturgeon, Pittsburgh, Pa., $13,500 79-65-67-69--280
Tim Weinhart, Alpharetta, Ga., $13,500 69-72-69-70--280
Keith Dicciani, White Plains, N.Y., $13,500 71-69-67-73--280
Todd Lancaster, Aurora, Ohio, $13,500 71-68-68-73--280
Sam Arnold, Cincinnati, Ohio, $8,500 72-71-70-68--281
Brian Gaffney, Rumson, N.J., $8,500 71-70-70-70--281
Greg Bisconti, South Salem, N.Y., $8,500 71-68-70-72--281
Frank Bensel, Stamford, Conn., $5,657.50 73-70-71-68--282
Mike Miles, Huntington Beach, Ca, $5,657.50 70-73-73-66--282
Mitch Lowe, Modesto, Calif., $5,657.50 75-67-71-69--282
Scott Hebert, Traverse City, Mich., $5,657.50 66-76-71-69--282
Jeffrey Martin, Warwick, R.I., $5,657.50 70-70-72-70--282
Tim Graves, Oklahoma City, Okla., $5,657.50 74-66-72-70--282
Kevin Roman, Roswell, Ga., $5,657.50 72-66-72-72--282
Chris Starkjohann, Encinitas, Calif., $5,657.50 67-73-69-73--282
Chris Moody, Provo, Utah, $4,905 75-68-71-69--283
Michael Suhre, Edwardsville, Ill., $4,905 70-70-69-74--283
Paul Trittler, Scottsdale, Ariz., $4,605 73-69-72-70--284
Ryan Garrity, Jupiter, Fla., $4,605 70-67-74-73--284
Dan Olsen, Ponte Vedra Beach, F, $4,605 71-70-69-74--284
Mark Brown, Brookville, N.Y., $4,125 74-68-72-71--285
Shawn Koch, John's Creek, Ga., $4,125 75-68-73-69--285
Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga., $4,125 71-70-72-72--285
Steve Orrick, Decatur, Ill., $4,125 69-73-71-72--285
Chip Johnson, Hingham, Mass., $4,125 67-71-74-73--285
John Hickson, Topsham, Maine, $3,515 71-71-73-71--286
Alan Morin, Royal Palm Beach, Fl, $3,515 70-72-71-73--286
Tim Thelen, College Station, Tex, $3,515 69-71-76-70--286
Kyle Flinton, Oklahoma City, Okla., $3,515 67-69-76-74--286
Steven Gotsche, Great Bend, Kan., $3,515 73-68-71-74--286
Mark Fuller, Edmond, Okla., $3,515 68-73-71-74--286
Brent Studer, Brielle, N.J., $3,015 73-70-71-73--287
Charles Meola, Mamaroneck, N.Y., $3,015 68-75-73-71--287
Wes Skaggs, Leander, Texas, $3,015 71-70-72-74--287
Dirk Schultz, Hagerstown, Md., $3,015 71-71-70-75--287
Mickey Yokoi, Ahwatukee, Ariz., $2,598.34 69-71-74-74--288
Shane Zywiec, Lincoln, Neb., $2,598.34 70-72-73-73--288
Chris Endres, Anthem, Ariz., $2,598.33 74-70-71-73--288
Brett Upper, Scottsdale, Ariz., $2,598.33 68-75-73-72--288
Brett Melton, Washington, Ind., $2,598.33 70-73-74-71--288
Rodney Perry, Daytona Beach, Fla., $2,598.33 73-70-76-69--288
Brent Johnson, Weirton, W.Va., $2,340 72-72-72-73--289
Perry Holmes, Boulder, Colo., $2,340 74-70-72-73--289
Ron A. Philo Jr., Amelia Island, Fla., $2,340 70-73-74-72--289
Carl Alexander, Bedford, N.Y., $2,340 73-71-73-72--289
Todd Kolb, Sioux Falls, S.D., $2,175 71-71-72-76--290
Craig Brischke, Forest Lake, Minn., $2,175 71-72-71-76--290
Brad Lardon, Bryan, Texas, $2,175 75-68-71-76--290
Phil Schmitt, Baton Rouge, La., $2,175 71-73-71-75--290
Jeff Freeman, Windermere, Fla., $2,175 70-73-73-74--290
Eric Manning, Cortland, N.Y., $2,028 71-72-71-77--291
David Von Hoffmann, Austin, Texas, $2,028 67-74-72-78--291
Denny Hepler, Winona Lake, Ind., $2,028 70-73-74-74--291
Eric Barlow, Milton, Mass., $2,028 70-72-75-74--291
Chad Stocker, Louisville, Ky., $2,028 69-74-69-79--291
Henrik Simonsen, Chattanooga, Tenn., $1,900 69-71-74-78--292
Kevin Savage, Oneida, N.Y., $1,900 67-73-77-75--292
Scott Mallory, Temecula, Calif., $1,900 73-70-75-74--292
Mark Voeller, Waukesha, Wis., $1,900 71-72-76-73--292
Travis Johns, Oswego, Ill., $1,900 76-68-78-70--292
Darrell Kestner, Glen Cove, N.Y., $1,750 70-72-73-78--293
Tim Fleming, Oklahoma City, Okla., $1,750 71-71-73-78--293
Tony Kelley, Holyoke, Mass., $1,750 68-76-72-77--293
Bill Harvey, Albuquerque, N.M., $1,750 71-73-73-76--293
Casey Bourque, Phoenix, Ariz., $1,750 71-72-75-75--293
Brad Martin, Portland, Ore., $1,750 71-73-75-74--293
Clark Spratlin, Cumming, Ga., $1,750 71-72-77-73--293
John Lee, Naples, Fla., $1,587.50 73-70-72-79--294
Chad Kurmel, Margate, Fla., $1,587.50 71-72-74-77--294
John Gibson, Houston, Texas, $1,587.50 72-72-73-77--294
Steven Hausmann, St. Louis, Mo., $1,587.50 76-68-74-76--294
Vince Jewell, Euless, Texas, $1,587.50 67-76-76-75--294
Jay Norman, White Bear Lake, Min, $1,587.50 73-71-76-74--294
Jamie Elliott, Coppell, Texas, $1,500 69-75-76-76--296
Gary Bebelaar, Louisville, Ky., $1,475 74-70-76-77--297
Pete Busch, Scotch Plains, N.J., $1,437.50 74-70-77-80--301
Erik Wolf, Palm Desert, Calif., $1,437.50 73-71-77-80--301
David Tentis, Woodbury, Minn., $1,400 71-73-NC
Lee Houtteman, Glen Arbor, Mich. 75-69-74-DQ