Small and Benzel share the lead at halfway in Sunriver

University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small and Ryan Benzel of Seattle are tied at the top after two rounds, one shot ahead of Craig Thomas. Past champs Bob Sowards, Wayne DeFrancesco and Tim Thelen are also still in the chase.

By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

SUNRIVER, Ore. -- Aside from one big surprise on top of the leaderboard, the 40th PGA Professional National Championship at the exquisite Sunriver Resort is quickly turning into a tournament of past champions.

First the surprise. After a spectacular round of 5-under-par 66, which included a 90-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole at the Meadows Course Friday, 28-year-old Ryan Benzel who is playing in his first national championship, soared 21 spots to share the lead with 2005 champion Mike Small at 6-under-par 137.

Craig Thomas, the PGA Head Professional from the Metropolis Country Club in New York, matched Benzel's 66 after an incredible up-and-down from behind the ninth green at the Meadows -- his final hole of the day -- and sits one shot back at 5 under.

The 2004 champion Bob Sowards catapulted 96 spots with his course-record-tying 6-under-par 65 at the Meadows on Friday. He's two shots behind at 4 under, along with Jason Panter, while former champions Wayne DeFrancesco (3 under) and Tim Thelen (2 under) are lurking as play shifts exclusively to the more difficult Crosswater Course for the weekend.

Benzel, an assistant professional out of Seattle Golf Club, gained his PGA membership just a year ago and finished second in the Pacific Northwest Section Championship to gain his berth here.

"My putter was a little bit hot today and a little bit yesterday, too," he said. "I made a couple of good putts yesterday and then I had the ridiculous putt today -- a 90-footer for birdie at 13. Other than that I made a couple of 20-footers. I made a 10-footer, an 8-footer, a 3-footer. I putted very well and I don't think I've had a three-putt yet. I'm rolling it pretty good."

Eighty players made the 36-hole cut, which fell at 3-over-par 146. Notables who won't be around for the weekend include Alan Schulte of Indiana, who lost to defending champion Ron Philo Jr. in a three-hole playoff in 2006 at Turning Stone. Shulte finished at 4-over-par 147 after rounds of 74-73. Former PGA TOUR player Lee Rinker also missed the cut after rounds of 71-77 put him at 5 over. Patricia Post, just the second woman to tee it up in the PGA Professional National Championship, shot an 81 on Friday to finish at 14 over.

Small, the head golf coach of the men's team at the University of Illinois who hasn't finished worse than fourth in three starts in this championship, posted a brilliant 4-under 67 in the second round, which happened to be the worst score in his threesome. He was paired with Sowards and Philo, who bounced back with a 5-under 66 in the second round to get back to even par after opening with a 77 on Thursday.

"My putter saved me today," Small said, after knocking in a 25-foot birdie putt on his final hole. "I didn't hit it particularly great, but I hit some good putts, had a couple of good saves and with two stupid bogeys coming in it was a decent score for the way I hit it, it really was. With the two scores I've had, I think I should be around it [the lead] and it's going to be fun this weekend to see who can play the best in the last two rounds."

Sowards, who missed the cut in his last two appearances since winning, had an eventful afternoon planned after shooting the low round of the tournament.

"I forgot that this was a par 71," he said of the Meadows. "I thought I had to make that putt. My caddie and I talked about that if I shot 65 today, that was the number, we're going to take that glider up. So, I'm going to practice a little bit and we may do that."

The glider Sowards spoke of is one of the many recreational activities offered at the Sunriver Resort -- it's a small, single-engine plane that provides dazzling views of nearby Mt. Bachelor.

After opening with a 2-over 74 at Crosswater, the importance of posting a low round at the Meadows wasn't lost on Sowards.

"Today was very important. It's very scoreable, but you still have to play well and I played really well and made some putts," he said. "Over at Crosswater there are no let-up holes and it's just you have to hit good shot, after good shot, after good shot to make a score and it's going to be tough. I've played with Mike [Small] a lot. I haven't played with Ron [Philo] much, but seeing good shots always helps you. It's a lot better seeing good shots and watching guys make birdies and try to get pulled along than it is watching bogeys."

Beginning at No. 14 at the Meadows, his fifth hole of the day, the 43-year-old Thomas recorded four consecutive birdies to make a run at the leaders.

"I made an 18-footer downhill at 14 to get it started," said Thomas, who has never missed the cut in five starts at the PGA Professional National Championship and hasn't finished outside the top-13 in his last three appearances. "I putted well for the first time in a while and it worked out well. I think with how I've played in this tournament the last few years it's got to help going into the weekend.

"You're still nervous. I don't think I stopped being nervous yesterday for some reason. You want to play well, you don't want to get behind the eight-ball right off the bat," he added. "We started off a little shaky yesterday and birdied two of the last four holes to salvage an even-par day, which is a pretty good score over there. Things started going our way today."

Mike Zinni from the Minnesota Section, the oldest player in the field at 58, made the cut after rounds of 68-75 put him at even par for the tournament.

Zinni is serving his second term on the PGA of America's Board of Directors and spent all day Tuesday in meetings to discuss several important issues within the PGA of America and the golf industry as a whole.

After trading the shirt and tie for golf gear, Zinni was quite pleased with his play.

"I don't hit the ball as long as I used to, and not as long as a lot of these guys, so I had to hit a lot of fairway woods and long irons into these greens," said Zinni. "This is a long course. I'm real pleased to have been able to make the cut and play pretty well so far."