Mar. 1—URBANA — At Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility, a wall is dedicated to former Illini who have won PGA tournaments.
At the current pace, it’s going to require more space.
Within the last month, two have joined past champions Steve Stricker, D.A. Points and Nick Hardy as winners on the PGA Tour.
On Feb. 9, Thomas Detry completed a dominant performance to take the WM Phoenix Open at the raucous TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, just minutes before the Super Bowl kicked off.
His final 24-under score was seven strokes clear of the field. The native of Belgium pocketed $1.65 million and became the first from his country to win on the PGA Tour.
He also earned his first invite to the Masters and a bunch of other exemptions.
Two weeks later, former Illini star Brian Campbell picked up his first PGA win at the Mexico Open. He needed overtime, winning on the second hole of sudden death against South African Aldrich Potgieter last Sunday.
On the final hole, Campbell hit a wayward tee shot that appeared headed out out of bounds, which would have likely ended his chances. But the ball bounced out of the trees and back into play. He birdied to earn the $1.26 million prize. Like Detry, he is going to the Masters.
Illinois golf coach Mike Small watched Campbell’s finish last weekend. So did the rest of the current team.
What did Small think as Campbell’s playoff tee shot flew toward disaster?
“You could tell by his body language he didn’t like it,” Small said.
Small was apprehensive about the playoff for Campbell, who had to manage a par-5 against one of the longest hitters in the world.
“I think the odds were stacked against him,” Small said. “But it takes some breaks. Things happen.”
Small was sitting with the Illinois freshmen players as Campbell’s ball veered toward trouble.
“I was telling them, ‘He’s not worried about that shot, he’s not thinking about how bad a swing that was. He was thinking how he was going to make birdie,'” Small said. “And that’s what he did.”
Part of the family
Two winners in three weeks from his former players. Does Small feel like a proud father?
“I do. I’m very excited for those guys,” Small said Thursday before his team left for the Southern Highlands Collegiate that tees off Sunday in Las Vegas. “For me, it’s all about them and the work they put in. When they played at Illinois, they talked about someday winning events. We’ve had a lot of presence on Tour for a long time, but the winners haven’t been there as often.”
They don’t just hand out trophies. Winning a PGA tournament demands four excellent rounds against the best players in the world.
“It’s great to see these guys’ games evolve and grow and lives grow,” Small said. “When they get the opportunity to win, they won.”
For the 32-year-old Detry, winning for the first time seemed destined.
“Thomas has been playing great for so long, so steady, been so close,” Small said. “He was due.”
Small thinks Detry’s win had a positive influence on the 31-year-old Campbell, his former Illinois teammate.
“When you’re out there playing on Tour together and Brian sees Thomas do that, it hits home. It kind of gives you a bolster of confidence,” Small said. “Saying, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.'”
Campbell is not a big hitter — like many of the players on Tour. He has to be more crafty. He leads the Tour this year in strokes gained within 20 yards of the greens.
Small looks forward to watching Campbell and Detry navigate Augusta National in April. Small plans to be there to offer support.
“It’s going to be fun to see their satisfaction and their sense of accomplishment to play that week,” Small said.
Paying it forward
Every time one of Small’s former players is in contention at a tournament, it brings television love from the broadcast teams. The kind of recruiting attention you can’t buy. Perhaps the next Detry or Campbell is out there watching and thinks, “Illinois seems to be the place to learn.”
“It’s all positive,” Small said. “It’s great to that respect. I think we’ve had that respect for a long time because of the way we’ve played and the amount of guys we’ve put on Tour.”
Campbell and Detry were more than just golfers at Illinois. Both were business graduates and good students.
“They’ve been on point for a long time,” Small said.
Small hopes to see current players, including standouts Jackson Buchanan and Max Herendeen, someday win like Campbell and Detry.
Of course, they were tuned in to the tournaments.
“We were screaming at the TV,” Buchanan said. “It was so cool to be an Illini golfer and watch that. It’s super inspiring. Coach tells funny stories about them as young guys, and now they’re winning on Tour.
“It says, ‘It’s possible.’ It is very hard. Those guys are special players and special people. It sets the goal even higher.”
“They’ve been exactly where I’ve been,” Herendeen said. “I have the opportunity to do exactly what they’re doing. This program is the foundation of that.”
Buchanan was paired with the former Illini at the U.S. Open when he played the major last summer.
“I got to hang out with them a lot,” Buchanan said. “It was a cool experience. They’re both great guys.”
