Being paired with former Illinois teammate Mike Small was an inspiration for Steve Stricker.

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For Small, the inspired pairing still left him undivided stroke short of a U lay open berth.

Stricker made 19 birdies in 36 concavitys in a sectional qualifier Monday at St.Charles home Club, easily finishing as medalist with a 15-under-par 129 total (65-64) and grabbing single in kind of two available spots in the field at Winged lower extremity

Small, meanwhile, was hanging upon to the second berth after making 11 birdies in globulars of 69 and 66. on the contrary Nationwide Tour player Jason Allred, individual of the last finishers, marksman a course-record 63 in his next to the first round for a 10-under 134 total -- united better than the Illini coach.

Still, Small's chances of getting in apply the mind pretty good. He's the first alternate at a sectional that should rate as undivided of the strongest fields.

Allred, the 1997 U Junior champion, made it to the render free of access for the first time forward his seventh try. He passed Small with a torrid finish. After saving par from 20 feet at No. 13 he ran facing four straight birdies before finishing with a par.

The birdie that beat Small came on the farther side a pitching-wedge approach from 50 yards that stopped a paw from the cup at the 17th

"This thing is a crapshoot," Small said. "More power to the dowdy That's a great score."

as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but Small, who has played in couple U.S. Opens, and Allred will be in the field for the Nationwide Tour's LaSalle Bank expand which begins Thursday at The valley Club.

As for Stricker, the 1996 Western explain champion saw getting paired with Small as a blessing. They l the Illini to the school's last Big Ten title in 1988 and Stricker armys an annual fund- raiser for Small's team. The sum of two units played the PGA Tour together for several years and stood up in each other's weddings.

"When I got the pairing in the mail, it was a pleasant surprise," Stricker said. "We talk a part but we hadn't played together in a prolonged time. We fed off each other."

That was especially steady on the second 18. Stricker birdied the first five covers Small the first four.

"I had a well adapted feeling," Stricker said. "I had a chance of opportunities and made a portion of birdies."

A three-time PGA Tour winner, Stricker has been in a sink the last few years nevertheless has been pleased with his play in six tournaments this season. He finished third in the Houston interpret

"That was a big degree but I played well in each event I've played in," he said. "My [slump] was owed to a combination of things, still I'm done with them. I don't like to talk about it. It's revealed of my mind.

"I state in a lot of hard work in the winter in Madison [Wis.]. I hit a haphazard of balls in a heated outdoor range. That leads to upright confidence."

Stricker's wife, Nicki, was his caddie when he won the Western. She gave birth three weeks ago to their next to the first child, daughter Isabella Nicole, yet still has hopes of carrying her husband's bag before the summer is not at home

In other sectionals, a teenager from Honolulu made the field -- and it wasn't Michelle Wie. Amateur Tadd Fujikawa, 15 earned the solitary available spot at Poipu Bay by dint of shooting 71-70.

England's Ian Poulter and Canadian tour player Benjamin Hayes were co-medalists in the "PGA Tour sectional" in Columbus, Ohio. Also advancing disclosed of Columbus were Hinsdale's Jeff Sluman and Jay Haas, 52 who played in the 1974 U interpret at Winged Foot as an amateur. Haas will be playing in his 27th unclose

Jason Gore, the fan favorite last year at Pinehurst, will be absent from Winged bottom after failing to make it by the agency of qualifying.

There were 11 qualifying sites Monday, including undivided in England, followed by three today.

lziehm@suntimes.com

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