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Small comes up big to capture PGA Professional title

Wed 1st, July 2009

Santa Ana Pueblo, NM (Sports Network) - Mike Small closed with a three-under 68 Wednesday to capture the 42nd PGA Professional National Championship by one shot over Mark Sheftic and Stephen Schneiter at Twin Warriors Golf Club.

Small, a two-time winner on the Nationwide Tour back in 1997 and head golf coach at the University of Illinois, won this championship in 2005 and was runner-up twice in 2004 and 2007. "It's kind of shocking to win this week, when my expectations were so low," said Small.

After making bogey on the par-5 12th, Small birdied the par-3 13th and then two-putted for birdie on the par-5 16th to reach seven-underpar. His closing two pars capped off his second straight round of 68 and a four-day total of 277.

Sheftic, a PGA teaching professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA, held the 36 and 54-hole leads, but missed from six feet for par on the last to finish in a tie for second. Sheftic closed with a final round of 73. "I tied for second, I can't be disappointed with that," commented Sheftic.

Schneiter, who finished second in 2003, held a share of the lead after a birdie on 16, but a bogey on 17 and a two-putt par on the last was not enough to force a playoff.

With his win, Small joined Larry Gilbert, Tim Thelen and Roger Watson as the only multiple champions of this event.

Craig Thomas, Ryan Benzel, Eric Lippert and Lee Rinker tied for fourth. Lippert carded the low round for the week at Twin Warriors, a six-under-par 65 in round three.

Tim Weinhart, who held the lead midway through the final round, closed with a one-under score of 70 to tie for eighth. Weinhart eagled his first hole and after birdies on 10, 12 and 13, stood at eight-under, but bogeys on four of his last five holes placed him at 4-under.

After an opening round of 79, Grant Sturgeon qualified for the PGA Championship for the first time with rounds of 65-67-69 to join Weinhart in a tie for eighth. Bob Gaus, Keith Dicciani and Todd Lancaster also finished in that group.

Sam Arnold, Brian Gaffney and Greg Bisconti tied for 13th.

Defending champion Scott Hebert, who led after the opening round, finished in a tie for 16th after a closing 69. Joining Hebert at two-under were Frank Bensel, Michael Miles, Mitch Lowe, Jeff Martin, Tim Graves, Kevin Roman and Chris Starkjohann. Miles capped off the round with a birdie on his last hole for a round of 66.

Although tying for 16th, Bensel, Martin and Graves lost a playoff in an effort to qualify for the PGA Championship. The top 20 players all earned a berth in the final major of the season at Hazeltine National in mid-August.

Tim Thelen, who captured the 2003 PGA Professional crown the last time Twin Warriors hosted this championship, tied for 34th, while 2006 champion Ron Philo Jr finished tied for 50th.

The PGA Professional National Championship featured a $550,000 purse with $75,000 to the winner, and 312 players representing 43 states and 41 PGA Sections

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

The 43rd PGA Professional Championship will be staged next year at French Lick Springs Resort in Indiana.