Small has another chance to make history

No one said going for a record-tying fifth Illinois Open was going to be easy.

Mike Small can attest to that.

The University of Illinois golf coach has suffered through a case of “close but no cigar” recently, finishing in the top 3 the past three years as he tries to join Gary Pinns in the record books with 5 Open wins.

His drive for five begins Monday at Hawthorn Woods Country Club when the 62nd Illinois Open kicks off with a field of 156 (including 58 amateurs) tees off in the three-day event. Play begins at 7:30 a.m.

Small, 45, recently competed in the 44th PGA Professional National Championship at Hershey (Pa.) Country Club, where he finished tied for eighth place earning $15,000 and a spot in the 93rd PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Defending champion Eric Meierdierks of Wilmette captured last year’s Championship after finishing with a 54-hole total of 201 (6-under par).

His margin of victory was 1 stroke over amateur Luke Guthrie from Quincy, Ill., and 4 over both Small and amateur Bennet Lavin from Chicago.

Meierdierks, 26, earned $14,000 for the victory, his first in the Illinois Open Championship. His quest for a repeat begins Monday at 8 a.m. on the 10th tee.

Hawthorn Woods Country Club, designed by Arnold Palmer Design Company, opened in 2006 as a highlight of the Toll Brothers master-planned community in Lake County. A 27,000-square-foot clubhouse is the centerpiece of the Hawthorn Woods community.

“We are proud to host the most prestigious championship in our state for the fourth consecutive year,” said Steve Skinner, CEO of KemperSports, which owns and operates the private member facility. “Our goal is to provide all players with the best tournament experience, and we believe Hawthorn Woods Country Club and the Illinois PGA will once again make that happen.”