Jan. 5, 2011

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. -

Complete PGA Professional Player of the Year release

Illinois head golf coach Mike Small has been named the 2010 PGA Professional Player of the Year. Small, who won his record-tying third PGA Professional National Championship in June, claims the honor for the third time in his career.

Small along with Sonny Skinner, who earned the Senior PGA Professional of the Year, will be honored on Jan. 27, in Orlando, Fla., during the 2010 PGA of America Awards program, which is held in conjunction with the 58th PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center.

The final standings are determined based on a point system, which calculates success on both the national and PGA Section competitions. Small won his third PGA Professional National Championship in June in French Lick, Ind., a month after coaching Illinois to its second straight Big Ten Championship and third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance. He earned 1,452.67 overall points, including 527.67 for his performance in six PGA Tour events.

Small, who also won Professional of the Year honors in 2006 and 2007, claimed his ninth Illinois PGA title and tied for 17th at the PGA tour's Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun, Mexico.