SANTA ANA PUEBLO — Mike Small peeled back a banana, took a huge chunk of a bite and got driven to the driving range.

And right when he got there, he immediately had to turn around.

Instead of having to be at a playoff, which he was thinking, Small had to be at a trophy presentation, which he wasn't, as he came from behind to capture the 42nd PGA Professional National Championship on Wednesday.

Small was thinking playoff after he and Mark Sheftic were at 7 under on the final hole. Small, in the second-to-last group, finished with par at the 472-yard 18th. He waited around to watch Sheftic's approach, then took off to the driving range.

Thinking playoff?

"Yes I was," Small said. "I just wanted to try and stay positive, regroup and try to get some energy back."

What he didn't see was Sheftic, the second- and third-round leader, miss a par putt that would have forced the playoff.

Small's 3 under final round of 68 helped him win by a stroke over Sheftic and Stephen Schneiter, who was in the final group with Sheftic.

"This came as a surprise," Small said. "This came out of nowhere and I wasn't really expecting this. I didn't think about really winning much until yesterday."

Small, the head golf coach at Illinois, won his second PGA Professional National Championship. He also won in 2005. Along with the winner's share of $75,000, Small also gets a berth into this year's PGA Championship and is exempt in six PGA Tour events.

One group in front, Small caught both Sheftic and Schneiter at 7 under with a birdie on the par-5, 584-yard 16th.

He parred the 17th and 18th while Schneiter bogeyed 17 and Sheftic bogeyed 18 as both finished at 6 under.

Sheftic needed birdie on 18 to win outright, but his second shot sailed over the flag and onto the fringe, leaving him a 30-foot birdie chip.

"We had 167 (yards) left and I hit an 8-iron," Sheftic said. "I hit it perfect, but it was the wrong club. I had a difficult chip shot and my nerves got to me maybe a little bit there and it didn't react the way I wanted it to."

He missed way short, and then missed a par putt that would've forced the playoff but he pushed it left.

"I got the putt outside," Sheftic said. "I putted really bad today. I left a lot of putts. I missed a lot of short putts today."

Schneiter had his chances as well. He was on in two on the 15th, but three-putted as he missed his opportunity.

Several golfers were in contention at the final turn, including a five-way tie for first at 6 under when the final group teed off on 10.

But Sheftic birdied 11 to join Tim Weinhart at 7 under, then pulled away with a birdie at the problematic par-5 12th.

With a decision to layup or go for it on the second shot of the 556-yard monster with an unfriendly arroyo and bunker guarding the front, only Sheftic laid up.

Small, Schneiter and Todd Lancaster, the third player in the final group, went for it.

Only Lancaster made it.

A group ahead, Small went way right, and was stuck up against a rock wall. He had to take an unplayable lie, dropped and finished with a bogey 6.

"I hit a bad shot, but still had chance to still make par and couldn't quite do it," Small said. "I could've made a seven."

Schneiter second shot, and ensuing experience was a carbon copy of
Small. He also had to take an unplayable lie, then dropped into a terrible dirt lie before chipping over the wall and onto the fringe, then two-putted for bogey.

Lancaster barely got over the sand trap to land just in front of the green, missed a 23-foot eagle put, then made birdie.

Sheftic, who also was among the 20 low scorers to qualify for the PGA Championship, landed his third back-left of the flag, but also made birdie to assume the lead at 8 under.

Both Small and Schneiter birdied 13 to get the stroke back.

It's been quite a year for Small. Not only was he named the Big Ten coach of the year, he also guided his team to a Big Ten title and an appearance in the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in the past seven seasons.