Nadler Golf Cars Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship Leaderboard
FLOSSMOOR, Ill. – June 30, 2026 – Mike Small, PGA, of the University of Illinois, continued his dominance of the Nadler Golf Cars Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship, capturing the title for the eighth time in his career Tuesday at Flossmoor Golf Club.
With the victory, Small moves within two titles of Gary Groh’s all-time tournament record of 10 championships. Small has now won the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship eight times in the past 10 years, with 2022 and 2025 marking the only seasons during that stretch in which he did not claim the title.
“It’s nice to be mentioned alongside a record like that, but it’s not really a goal of mine,” said Small. “I just enjoy coming out during the summer and playing golf with the guys. I coach all year, and I like to use these tournaments to test my coaching philosophies on myself. If I’m asking my players to do certain things, I want to make sure I can do them too. That’s always motivating to me, and it’s one of the reasons I enjoy competing in the summer whenever I can.”
Small seized control of the championship from the opening round and never relinquished it. He fired a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 on Monday, recording seven birdies to build a commanding five-stroke advantage heading into the final round.
Small continued his bogey-free play through the opening nine holes Tuesday, carding birdies on Nos. 1, 3 and 8 to reach 10-under-par for the championship and maintain a four-shot advantage over Gary Hallberg (PGA Life Member).
The championship tightened briefly on the back nine. Small birdied the par-5 10th to reach 11-under-par before making his first bogey of the tournament on No. 11. Hallberg trimmed the deficit to three strokes with his lone back-nine birdie at the par-4 13th, and another bogey by Small at No. 14 brought him back to 9-under-par. Small quickly regained control, however, responding with birdies on Nos. 15 and 18 to close with a 4-under-par 68 and finish at 11-under-par 133, good for a four-stroke victory.
“I competed really well,” said Small. “Yesterday’s round was something I’ve been looking for for a while. I haven’t had many low rounds this year. I’ve been competitive, but I haven’t gone low like that, so it was fun to see. Today, I started with the lead, but you never know what’s going to happen at this golf course. You can make birdies, but you can also make bogeys in a hurry.”
Hallberg posted the low round among the final contenders, carding a 5-under-par 67. His round featured six birdies against just one bogey as he finished alone in second place at 7-under-par 137.
“I was really impressed with Gary (Hallberg) today,” said Small. “He shot his age today, which was really impressive. He played a heck of a round, and it was fun to watch.”
John Varner (Beverly Country Club) also mounted an early charge after opening with a 1-under-par 71 on Monday. Varner birdied each of his first four holes Tuesday to move to 5-under-par for the championship, pulling within three shots of Small. His momentum slowed on the inward nine, where he made three bogeys and just one birdie. Varner closed with a 1-under-par 71 to finish at 2-under-par 142, good for solo third as he joined Small and Hallberg as the only players to finish the championship under par.
In addition to crowning the Illinois PGA Senior Champion, the championship also served as a qualifying event for the 2026 Senior PGA Professional Championship, scheduled for Oct. 22-25 at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona.
Small was already exempt into the national championship, and eight additional Illinois PGA Members earned their places in the field to represent the Illinois PGA Section in Arizona. Hallberg and Varner led the group, followed by David Paeglow (Kishwaukee Country Club) in solo fourth. Roy Biancalana (The Hawk Country Club) and Rob Lussenhop (PGA Life Member) tied for fifth, while Doug Bauman (Biltmore Country Club), David Hannon (Play Better Golf Academy), and Mike Troy (Zigfield Troy Par 3 Golf Course), tied for seventh to round out the Illinois PGA qualifiers.
The Illinois PGA would like to thank Nadler Golf Cars for their continued support of the Illinois PGA Section and of the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship. The Illinois PGA will now turn its attention back to its Member Stroke Play Series with the Illinois PGA Stroke Play #4 at Glen Oak Country Club on July 6th.
About the Illinois PGA/Illinois PGA Foundation
The Illinois Section of the PGA of America is a professional organization serving men and women golf professionals in northern and central Illinois who are recognized experts in growing, teaching, and managing the game of golf. The Illinois PGA is responsible for the administration of competitive golf tournaments, educational opportunities, support programs, and growth of the game initiatives. With over 760 members and associates, the Illinois PGA is one of the 41 regional Sections that comprise the PGA of America. The Illinois PGA Foundation focuses its community efforts on promoting the goodwill and growth of the game with an emphasis on activities that benefit youth. Foundation initiatives include: GolfWorks Illinois, youth-based Scholarship funds, PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere), Illinois PGA Birdies for Charity, and the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. For more information about the Illinois PGA and the Illinois PGA Foundation, please visit www.ipga.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
708.336.1294 mobile
kbquinn@pgahq.com