Illinois golf coach Mike Small will return to the American Family Insurance Championship
He joins tournament host and college teammate Steve Stricker
University of Illinois golf coach Mike will again play in the American Family Insurance Championship, returning to the tournament hosted by his former Illini golf teammate Steve Stricker. Small tied for 10th at the 2018 championship.
Small will play under a sponsor’s exemption in the PGA TOUR Champions event, which will be played June 21-23 at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis. The 78-player field will be finalized June 14.
Small will play in American Family Insurance Championship for the third time. His 10th-place finish at last year’s championship was one of his three top-10 finishes on PGA TOUR Champions in 2018. He finished in a tie for 20th place at the 2017 American Family Insurance Championship.
Small recently completed his 19th year as the head men’s golf coach at his alma mater. This spring, he coached the team to its fifth consecutive Big Ten title and the 10th in the past 11 seasons. The team qualified for its 12th straight NCAA Championship appearance.
Small competed five years on the PGA TOUR and the Web.com Tour. He’s a three-time champion of the PGA Professional National Championship, three-time winner of the PGA Professional National Player of the Year, and was named the 2017 Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year. He has appeared in 13 PGA TOUR Champions events, including two U.S. Senior Opens.
Tickets still available
Tickets for the American Family Insurance Championship are available from the home page of AmFamChampionship.com under the "Get Tickets" link, and at the front entrance of tournament. Tickets and prices include:
- General admission ticket: $25
- Champions ticket (50 years +): $20
Active duty, reserve and retired military personnel can again enjoy a free three-day pass and any child 15 and under gets free admission to the tournament with a paid adult admission.
For tournament updates, fans can follow the tournament’s social media channels:
Twitter: @amfamchamp; Facebook: American Family Insurance Championship; and Instagram: AmFamChampionship.
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About the American Family Insurance Championship
American Family Insurance, the PGA TOUR Champions and Wisconsin native Steve Stricker launched this professional golf tournament in June 2016. The American Family Insurance Championship, held annually at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis., features a 78-player field. Past champions include Scott McCarron (2018), Fred Couples (2017) and Kirk Triplett (2016). Championship week includes the three-day tournament, two Pro-Am competitions, 5K run/walk, charity concert and a special exhibition featuring celebrities from the sports and music industries. The 2019 event will be held June 15-23 with all proceeds allocated to the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation for distribution to the American Family Children’s Hospital and other charities. More than $4.7 million has been donated to charity since the inaugural event in 2016. For more information: Web: www.AmFamChampionship.com; Twitter: @AmFamChamp; Facebook: American Family Insurance Championship; Instagram: amfamchampionship #AmFamChamp
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 32 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. In 2019, the PGA TOUR Champions schedule includes 27 tournaments across the United States, Japan, England and Canada, with purses totaling nearly $58 million. The Charles Schwab Cup, which includes the Regular Season and the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, is used to determine the season-long champion. All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Internationally, telecasts air in excess of 170 countries and territories, reaching more than 340 million potential households, and distributed in 15+ markets via GOLFTV. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.