Seated by the Walter Hagen Cup, Small noted the significance of the date. Under NCAA rules, July 1 is the first day coaches are allowed to start telephoning rising high school seniors. "I didn't make any calls today so I guess I'm doing a bad job," he said with a grin. Small rarely plays with his golfers. "When I'm out on the course, I'm focused on making their games better, not mine."
In defeat, Sheftic exhibited what a lot of the players in this unique field have: perspective. "I used to be trying to make the PGA Tour," said Sheftic. "Now I have a dream job and a great family, and I don't have to worry about playing well to pay the bills. To me now, getting a student to hit a good shot is just as rewarding as hitting a good shot myself."
But the best story of the week may belong to Grant Sturgeon. Playing in his first PGA Professional National Championship, the Oakmont CC assistant shot 79 the first day, then in the second round rebounded with a 65 that included a hole-in-one with a 7-iron on Santa Ana's 169-yard sixth hole. He made the cut on the number and finished T-8. Now, this August, he will play in his first ever PGA Championship.
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