| by: WebMaster - 6/21/2005 8:55:15 AM |
| University of Illinois head golf coach Mike Small has accepted a sponsor’s exemption to play in the 2005 Cialis Western Open, June 27-July 3, at Cog Hill Golf Club in Lemont, Illinois. Small, who finished tied for 27th in the 2004 Cialis Western Open with a 284 total, will be seeking to make his third straight cut in the championship. He also made the cut in 2003, when he tied for 43rd . “Mike had a phenomenal tournament in 2004,” noted John Kaczkowski, Western Golf Association tournament director. “The fans really warmed up to him, and there was a lot of electricity surrounding his play. We’re excited to have him playing again in this year’s championship. I expect he’ll have an enthusiastic following.” In the 2004 Cialis Western Open, Small tallied three straight rounds under par at Cog Hill’s Course No. 4 and had a hole-in-one during the second round of play on the 180-yard hole No. 2. He entered Sunday’s final round tied for sixth, just four strokes behind leader and eventual winner Stephen Ames. The exemption is one of eight sponsor’s exemptions given annually. The other exempt players will be announced as tournament week approaches. Small’s performance at the Cialis Western Open was just one of several competitive highlights he enjoyed in 2004. He won the Illinois PGA Championship for the third time in four years, placed second in the national PGA Club Professional Championship and competed in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straights. Small, 38, has been head golf coach at the University of Illinois since 2000. Prior to that, he competed for a decade as a professional golfer, including five years on the PGA TOUR and the then-Nike/Buy.com tours, where he won three times. His best finish on the PGA TOUR was a top nine at the Bell Canadian Open in 1998. He also has played in two U.S. Opens: at Olympic in 1998 and Oakmont in 1994. In 2003, Small won the Illinois PGA and Illinois Open titles, becoming the first golfer ever to win both tournaments in the same year. Under Small’s leadership, Illinois golf is recognized as one of the nation’s Top 25 programs and has been a perennial Big Ten title contender. Last year, Illinois finished runner-up at the Big Ten Championship for the third straight year and made its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Central Regional. In 2002-03, Illinois was runner-up in the regional, advanced to its second consecutive NCAA Championship and placed 21st. Small was named the 2003 Midwest Region Coach of the Year. He also was Big Ten Coach of the Year for the 2001-02 season, when Illinois placed 18th in the NCAA Championships.
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