Small back on top

    Writing from Olympia Fields, Illinois
    Wednesday, August 28, 2013

    Mike Small is back.
    Back to hitting booming drives. Back to hitting crisp irons close to the cup. Back to making birdies when he needs them.
    Back in the winner’s circle. Back on top.
    Small scored 3-under-par 68 on Wednesday to capture his 10th Illinois PGA Championship with a three-round total of 4-under-par 209 on Olympia Fields’ demanding South Course.
    It was Small’s 15th state major championship – a record, as is the 10 section titles – and his first title in three years. One of three inductees to the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in the fall, the 47-year-old Small had been in a drought since winning the Illinois PGA on the same South Course in 2010.
    This victory came by four strokes over the trio of Curtis Malm, Matt Slowinski and Travis Johns. Only Johns could match Small’s 68, and merely matching the Illinois men’s golf coach wasn’t enough on this breezy day when he had complete control of his game, and the result that control deserved.
    “Today, I did it,” Small said. “It was an easy, solid 68.”
    As opposed to, say, his scramble for a 2-under 69 on Monday, which started the adventure. Then, Small, a perfectionist, was less than perfect, but made the most of his misses. Wednesday, there were no misses.
    “The last 12-13 holes, I didn’t come close to making bogey,” Small said.
    Or the rest of the day, for that matter. And he made only one bogey in his last 27 holes.
    The day started with Slowinski in the lead, but not for long. Three bogeys on the first three holes dropped him down, and Malm, with birdies on the third and fourth, moved in front.
    Then Malm bogeyed the fifth and seventh holes, opening the door for Small, who had parred the first six holes. His birdie on the seventh gave him the lead.
    Give Mike Small the lead and he’s not going to give it away. Three more pars followed, then a birdie on the par-4 11th, then the blow that locked it up, a 30-footer for birdie on the par-3 12th.
    Small was pleased, but more pleased with the shot that set up the putt.
    “It was a 215-yard 6-iron to the middle of the green,” he said. “The putt just happened to go in.”
    With that, Slowinski and Malm knew they were playing for second place.
    “Curtis and I were in the same boat all day,” Slowinski said. “I was still right there after getting up-and-down on the fourth and fifth. I three-putted the sixth, and Mike got a couple ahead.”
    And stayed there.
    “How do I win this? I need Mike Small to retire,” Malm kidded.
    Johns was in a familiar position. He was also runner-up to Small at Olympia Fields three years ago.
    Aside from Small, who was already exempt, ten players from the field qualified for next year’s PGA club pro championship, to be held in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The last man in, via a four-for-one playoff, was Cantigny teaching pro Rich Dukelow, who made a par on the first playoff hole when the other three made bogey.
    
    Mitchell captures Illinois Mid-Amateur

    Todd Mitchell of Bloomington added a 2-under-par 70 to his opening pair of 69s to score a four-stroke victory over Glenview’s Kyle Nathan in the 21st Illinois Mid-Amateur at Flossmoor Country Club.
    The overnight leader, Mitchell birdied two of his first four holes to expand his lead, and coasted home with six pars and a birdie in his last seven holes – the birdie on the treacherous 17th – to collect his fourth victory in the CDGA’s state championship for the 25-and-up set.
    Mitchell’s three-round total of 8-under-par 208 and Nathan’s 4-under 212 – the latter highlighted by Wednesday’s 4-under 68, the best round of the day – were the only two aggregates under Flossmoor’s par of 72. Brian Hickey of Downers Grove was third, at even par 216.

    – Tim Cronin