Two out of three isn't bad in this 'superstar' threesome
There is no bigger pairing this week than the trio of Mike Small, Tim Thelen and Bob Sowards, three of the most accomplished PGA Professionals in the game. Small and Thelen got off to strong starts, but Sowards has some ground to make up.
By T.J. Auclair, Junior Editor
VERONA, N.Y. -- PGA Professionals don't carry the same name recognition as the top players on the PGA Tour.
If they did, the threesome of Mike Small, Tim Thelen and Bob Sowards with the 8:30 a.m. tee time at Shenendoah Golf Club Thursday at the 39th PGA Professional National Championship would have been the equivalent of a group featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh.
Small, the University of Illinois men's head golf coach, is the defending champion of the National Championship. Thanks to a birdie-birdie finish on Thursday, he carded a 3-under 69 in the first round and was two shots off the lead, held by Cameron Doan, Rob Wilkin, Alan Schulte and Stephen Schneiter.
"I salvaged a really good round," Small said. "I played the last five or six holes 3-under, which was good because it was kind of mediocre going up to the last six holes. It was a good start in this thing. I don't know what the scores are going to be like."
Small didn't have to look further than his threesome to see what a good number to post would be.
Thelen, the assistant professional and Bushwood Golf Center in Houston and winner of the 2000 and 2003 National Championship, was the clubhouse leader early after scoring a tidy bogey-free 4-under 68. He was particularly satisfied with the round since this week marked the first time he had ever seen Shenendoah.
"I only missed two fairways today and played very patient," he said. "I laid up on the par 5s, which I could have tried to reach in two. I didn't make any bogeys. I think there is a better chance to score on Shenendoah as the greens are a little softer."
Thelen has a remarkable record in the National Championship. In his eight previous starts, he has never missed the cut and has never finished worse than a tie for 27th. He seems to know as well as anyone what the ingredients are for success.
"It's always nice to get off to a good start," he said. "The golf course, I thought, played difficult today. I was very, very patient, made a lot of pars and made four birdies. I didn't hit it in trouble much. When I did hit it in trouble, I made a lot of good up and downs. I putted fairly well today, but thought I could have gone a little lower. That said, it feels good to be in with a 68."
While Small and Thelen enjoyed posting a low number early, Sowards -- the 2004 champion, who missed the cut in 2005 -- wasn't as fortunate. He struggled throughout the round with six bogeys and just two birdies for a 4-over 76.
"I saw a lot of good shots," said Sowards, a teaching professional from New Albany Country Club in Ohio. "I expected that. I expected all of three of us to play well. I'm not sure what Mike shot, but Tim played well. It was fun to play in a group like that. It played hard for me, but it's an easy golf course. I shot a 76. I can't play any worse. We'll try and play better tomorrow."
Small said that despite playing with Thelen, he couldn't apply what Thelen was doing as a gauge for where he stood amongst the rest of the field.
"History might tell you that, but you never know," he said. "There are so many good players in this thing you never know. You have got to go out and play against the course and just put yourself in position. When you're all back on the same course on Saturday, then you can start looking at other scores. Right now you're just trying to get yourself in position until Saturday because there are so many players."
Few people would argue that there is a bigger favorite in the 312-man field this week than Small. Aside from his National Championship win in 2005, he finished second in his debut in 2004. Before that, Small won the 1997 Cleveland Open on the Nationwide Tour and finished in a tie for ninth at the PGA Tour's Canadian Open in 1998. He's definitely tournament-tough.
One of the perks that go along with finishing in the top 20 at the National Championship is earning a berth in the PGA Championship. That would be extra-special for Small this year. He is a veteran of four major championships, but has never enjoyed the pleasure of playing one in his home state of Illinois. That could change after this weekend, as the 88th PGA Championship -- which will be played in August -- is at Medinah Country Club, just outside Chicago.
"That's everybody's first goal is to finish top 20 and then everything after that is kind of a bonus," he said. "But that's what you want to do. You want to come and represent the PGA of America and their championships. So that's what we're trying to do. I've played in four majors but never in my home state so I want to go do one of those. It would be kind of neat."
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