SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – As a golfer growing up in Morton, Illinois, just an hour outside of the University of Illinois’ main campus in Champaign, Tommy Kuhl always dreamed of playing for Illini head coach Mike Small.
“What he’s built here,” said Kuhl, now a fifth-year senior. “He turns kids into men.”
For Kuhl, though, that progression was slow. An accomplished prep player, Kuhl stepped on campus as an immature freshman, and he bounced in and out of the lineup his first two years with the program. As a junior, he played in every event, but he still ranked fifth on the team in scoring average.