Round One: Mike Small makes a big move

University of Illinois coach Mike Small ties course record to grab lead in 37th PGA Club Professional Championship

By Bob Denney, PGA of America

NASHPORT, Ohio - Mike Small, who spends his summer recruiting golfers to attend the University of Illinois, missed out on a coaching gem of an opportunity to close his round Thursday afternoon at Longaberger Golf Club. There wasn't a video camera in sight.

Had anyone been filming, Small would have had an edge in convincing recruits that this coach knows something about finishing strong. Small, who has served as the Fighting Illini coach the past four years, posted a course-record tying 6-under-par 66 to grab the lead in the opening round of the 37th PGA Club Professional Championship. He capped a one-bogey, seven-birdie effort by rifling a 4-iron approach from 188 yards to within 10 inches of the 18th hole. That tap-in birdie earned him a share of the competitive course record, first registered in 2002 by Brad Westfall of Morgantown, W.Va., in the 2002 Northern PGA Club Professional Championship.

"This is only the first quarter of a game," said the 38-year-old Small, as if polishing a locker room speech. "It gets you in position to come back tomorrow and play hard again. If this was a college tournament, I would tell them (the Illini) to go back and study a little bit, don't be on the phone too long with the girlfriend and we'll be all right. I'll go back and chill out, have some dinner and hopefully the Cubs will be on TV."

Small, making his first appearance in the CPC, needed only 26 putts for a two-stroke advantage over Robert Thompson of Huntsville, Texas, whose 68 featured an eagle, three birdies and a bogey. Four others were three strokes off the pace at 69, including Bob Sowards of Columbus, Ohio, the 2003 PGA Club Professional Player of the Year; Quinn Griffing of North Manchester, Ind., Cary Hungate of Kokomo, Ind., and Heikke Nielsen of Boulder, Colo.

Thirty-six players bettered par, while defending champion Tim Thelen of Richmond, Texas, was at even par 72 Small's record-matching round was from a longer distance (7,225 yards) in this national championship, while in 2002 the field was forced to play under the preferred lie rule (lift, clean and place rule) due to heavy rain.

"I've played a Nationwide Tour event that gave me some good preparation for coming here," said Small. "I stopped playing full-time on the Tour (Nationwide and PGA Tours) in 2000. Hopefully, this will help recruiting and let kids know that I'm still active. Next week, I'm in the Western Open and I'll go up there and try to pick up some pointers from the best players in the world and bring them back to the team."

Though it was Small's rookie appearance in the nation's showcase event for PGA Professionals, he has honed his game in a combined 134 events since 1990 between the former Nike Tour and the PGA Tour. His experience showed amidst swirling winds on the demanding Longaberger Golf Club.

The 37th PGA Club Professional Championship, which concludes Sunday, is presented by Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra; Buick and Club Car. The low 25 scorers earn berths in the 86th PGA Championship, Aug. 12-15, at Whistling Straits-Straits Course in Kohler, Wis.

The PGA of America, founded in 1916, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.