Mike Small

Head Men’s Golf Coach at the University of Illinois (in his 25th season as head coach)…Playing in his second Senior PGA Championship after making his debut in 2022…Finished T-25 in the 2025 Senior PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team in the 2026 Senior PGA Championship…Earned starts in 10 PGA Championships (2017, ’13, ’12, ’11, ’10, ’09, ’07, ’06, ’05, ’04)…Was the Low PGA of America Golf Professional at two PGA Championships: 2011 at Atlanta Athletic Club (T-69) and 2007 at Southern Hills (T-69)…Also made the cut at the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol, finishing 76th…Has played in 16 PGA Professional Championships…Winner, 2010, ’09, ’05 PGA Professional Championship, one of just two players all-time to win the championship three times…Winner, 2010, ’07, ’06 National PGA Professional Player of the Year…Winner, 2017 National Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year…Competed on the 2013, ’11, ’09, ’07, ’05 U.S. PGA Cup Teams (winning four straight from 2007-13)…Three-time U.S. Open participant (2007, 1998, 1994)…Appeared in the 2016, 2017 and 2023 U.S. Senior Opens….Inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 2013...Winner of a record 14 Illinois PGA Professional Championships (2023, ’20, ’16, ’14, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, '06, ’05, ’04, ’03, ’01)…His 2023 victory at the Illinois PPC made him the winningest PGA Professional at a Section Championship across all 41 Sections nationwide…Seven-time winner of the Illinois PGA Senior Professional Championship (2024, ’23, '21, '20, '19, 18, ’17)…Winner, 2025, ‘23, ‘22 Illinois PGA Senior Open…Winner, 2020, ’08 Illinois PGA Player of the Year…Has made the cut in 15 of 34 PGA TOUR events since he began coaching at Illinois, and 18 of 19 PGA TOUR Champions events…His best finish on TOUR was T-9 at the 1998 Bell Canadian Open…Korn Ferry Tour member (1996-2001)…As head coach of the Illinois men’s golf team, he has guided the Illini to 13 of the last 15 Big Ten Championship titles, including a conference-record run of eight straight from 2015-23…Coached two NCAA individual champions in Scott Langley (2010) and Thomas Pieters (2012)…Has coached nine Big Ten individual champions and 19 golfers who earned 37 All-America honors…Led Illinois to the NCAA Championships in 15 of the last 16 years and 17 times overall in the last 24 years…He was named the 2015 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year and is a 13-time Big Ten Coach of the Year…He is a member of the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame (2016)…Played college golf at Illinois from 1985-88...Member of the 1988 Big Ten Championship team and finished second individually in that tournament behind teammate and current PGA TOUR Champions member Steve Stricker…Won the Junior Masters in 1984...His father, Bill, was captain of the 1963 Big Ten Champion Illinois basketball team...His brother, Andy, was a member of the 1990 Big Ten Champion Illinois baseball squad...Stricker and Small served as a groomsman at each other's weddings (Stricker helped fund University of Illinois' premier outdoor practice facility).