Alex Smalley is under the spotlight at the Aronimink this week. The 29-year-old is headed into the final round with a lead and a childhood dream to achieve.

Smalley shot a 2-under 68 in the third round, which gave him the two-shot lead. He’s yet to win his first professional title, and with the solo lead, his chances of lifting the major are quite high this weekend.

Speaking during the PGA Championship, Alex Smalley said, “Anybody who wants to play golf for a living dreams of winning on the PGA Tour when they're younger. I recognize that I have an opportunity to do that tomorrow. I recognize that it's on a stage that's a little bit larger than most other Tour events.”

Smalley added that he has been trying to treat the event like any other tournament despite the added attention and pressure that comes with a major championship.

Smalley also admitted that he grew up playing a lot of other sports. However, after turning 10, it was “strictly golf” for the American. 

The 29-year-old became the only player to break par in all three rounds of the tournament. Smalley secured a 3-under 67 and a 1-under 69 in the first two rounds, which helped him secure the lead after the third round.

Smalley said the moment brought back memories from his college days. “So, yeah, I obviously dreamed of this as a kid, and it's funny, it's the Wanamaker trophy, and when I was in college, I stayed in the Wanamaker dorm for three years,” Smalley said.

He added that his parents had joked for years that this could end up being the tournament he wins because of that connection, even before he made it to the PGA Tour.

The Rochester-born golfer remains focused on his objective. Six birdies in the last ten holes of the third round and a score of 6-under par kept Smalley ahead of the packed leaderboard.

Smalley was determined to “actually pull it out” in the final round and secure his first professional win at the Aronimink. 

While Smalley hasn’t yet registered a win in his professional career, he did have a successful amateur career.

A Look At Smalley’s Amateur Career

Smalley enjoyed a highly decorated career during his time at Duke University.

The World No. 78 is a two-time winner of the Sunnehanna Amateur Championship. He secured the title in two consecutive years, back in 2018 and 2019.

Interestingly, Smalley has already beaten World No.1 Scottie Scheffler once at the 2018 NCAA Championships. It was a singles match, and Smalley came out on top. 

The American was also a member of the 2019 US Arnold Palmer Cup team and the Walker Cup team.

Smalley came very close to breaking the all-time scoring record during the strokeplay of the US Amateur in 2016. However, the Duke University graduate fell short by just one stroke.

Coming off a successful amateur career, Smalley will look forward to ending his winless streak on the PGA Tour at the Aronimink.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey