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THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.

University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small with the Illinois Senior Open trophy, at the Preserve at Oak Meadows.

MIKE SMALL IS NO STRANGER to winning tournaments and trophies in Illinois PGA Section events, and the 2022 Illinois Senior Open can now be added to his list of victories.

But while Small took home the first place check, it didn’t come easy.

Because Glen Oak Country Club head professional Danny Mulhearn didn’t go away so fast. Then there was amateur Mike Henry the Bloomington Illinois resident who ended up tied for second place with with Mulhearn.

Small the men’s golf coach at the University of Illinois, didn’t even have the lead after 18 holes, of the 36 hole event. Because he was two shots behind Mulhearn.

Mike Small follows his shot during Round 2 of the Illinois Senior Open.

But the deficit didn’t stay at two shots for very long. Because when Small made bogey on the par-5 second hole, and Mulhearn made birdie on the fourth hole, Small when then down three shots.

But Small answered with a birdie on short par-4 fourth hole, and then made eagle-3 on the par-5 fifth hole. Small’s second shot on the fifth hole, was nearly a double-eagle 2. So all Small had to do was tap-in for eagle. Going three under par for two holes, put Small right back on Mulhearn’s heels, and the battle was on.

Mulhearn then upped his lead with a birdie on the par-4 sixth hole to three shots. But that didn’t last. While Small and Henry were making par’s on holes 7-8 and 9. Mulhearn had his difficulties, and made bogeys on 7 and 9, dropping back into a tie for the lead.

The draft beers at the Preserve at Oak Meadows are all brewed in DuPage County.

After 12 holes there was still a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard. But then Small hit the green on the par-5 13th hole in two shots. After lagging his eagle putt close to the hole, Small made birdie while Mulhearn and Henry settled for par. Small now lead for the first time.

But after a Small bogey on the par-5 15th hole, as Mulhearn and Henry made pars, the lead was back to being a three-way tie.

Then the par-4 16th, which had the tee’s moved up to 290 yards as a risk-reward short par-4, saw Small gamble and go for the green. The gamble paid off as Small hit the green with his drive and then drained a 65-foot eagle putt for a two. Henry made birdie to stay within one shot, and after a poor chip Mulhearn made par and was now two shots back of Small.

Then Small missed the par-3 17th green with his tee shot, and could not get up and down t save par. Henry did make par and tied Small once again for the lead, with Mulhearn now one shot back.

The 18th hole was an incredible finish. After all three players hit the fairway on their tee shots. Henry missed his approach shot into a greenside bunker, Small followed up and also missed inti a greenside bunker. Mulhearn’s approach hit the far backside of the green, but he had a birdie putt.

Henry left his first bunker shot in the bunker, then after reaching the green on his third shot, three-putted for double-bogey. Small blasted out of the bunker and just a two-foot putt to save par. Mulhearn then needed his birdie putt to force a playoff, but it came up just short of the cup, giving Small the win.

“I thought it was a well played round for all three of us for about 14 holes,” said Small. “Starting on 15 we all made a variety of errors. I didn’t have my best stuff there at the end, but was just able to hand on.”

The 2022 Illinois Senior Open, was the first state open to be played at The Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison. It’s likely it won’t be the last. A full scoreboard can be found at IPGA.com.