Sheftic gears up for PGA Championship

Growing up, Mark Sheftic learned the game of golf from his father, Ted. Through the years, the two have made many memories and have shared the dream that Mark would some day play on the sport’s big stage.

When Mark tees it up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn., on Thursday, that dream will become reality.

“To play in a major is pretty unbelievable, but I didn’t get here alone,” said Mark, a 1997 graduate of Coker College. “I had plenty of good people surrounding me and my dad played a big part.”

Mark is paired with Will MacKenzie and Oliver Wilson for Thursday’s opening round. The threesome will tee off at 1:45 p.m.

“This is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time,” Ted said. “I don’t get excited about a lot of things, but this would be one of them.

“I’m going be there and enjoy every minute of it with my son."

In early July, Mark earned a spot in the season’s last major on his first try when he tied for second at the PGA Professional National Championship.

He led heading into the final round, but bogeyed the final hole and finished one shot behind Mike Small.

“I missed a short putt to force a playoff. That left a sour taste in my mouth,” Mark said. “Once I calmed myself down and got back to the hotel, I realized what I did. I qualified for the PGA Championship.”

After a successful career at Coker, Mark spent five seasons playing mini tours such as the Golden Bear, Canadian, Tear Drop and Buy.com (now called the Nationwide Tour). He also tried to qualify for the PGA Tour through Q-school but never made it past the first stage.

The grind of playing on those tours and searching for sponsors finally took a toll on Mark. He stopped competing professionally in 2001.

“I saw guys that were playing on mini tours for 15 and 20 years and I didn’t want to be that guy,” Mark said. “I gave myself enough time and said, 'you either have it or you don’t.’

“Only one or two percent of those guys make it to the PGA Tour and I just got burned out.”

Ted can certainly relate to that. He spent years playing in Mexico, South America and on the PGA Tour before becoming a teaching pro. He has worked with golfers on the LPGA Tour and has been named Golf Digest’s No. 1 teacher in Pennsylvania five times.

Mark followed in his father’s footsteps and took a job as an assistant pro at Sonnybrook Golf Club in Pennsylvania. He spent five years there before taking a job last year as a teaching pro at Pennsylvania’s Merion Golf Club, which has hosted four U.S. Opens.

Mark’s teaching schedule of eight or nine hours a day and father duties with a five-month-old baby keep him busy. He does, however, find time to play tournaments throughout the Philadelphia section and is second in points for Philadelphia section PGA player of the year.

“The hardest thing to do is balance,” Mark said. “I try to get to the course early or either stay late — whatever I have to do.“

His father has marveled at his son’s progress.

“He is establishing himself as a good club professional and one heck of a player,” Ted said. “I told him, ’I never had your game.’

“His game is on a different level. He has a great iron game. And if he starts making the putts, he can win a lot of these tournaments.”

Going into the PGA Championship, Mark has no expectations for where he’ll finish. He just wants to enjoy the experience.

“I don’t know how I’m going to play against the best players in the world,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep my nerves in check and do my best.”