Who is Alex Smalley? Meet American longshot leading PGA Championship heading into final round
Who is Alex Smalley? Meet American longshot leading PGA Championship heading into final round originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 PGA Championship features an unlikely leader, as Alex Smalley finds himself with the solo lead at the year’s second major.
Smalley was a highly touted amateur but hasn’t found much success on the PGA Tour despite some consistent results. Now, Smalley will have to fend off many of golf’s biggest names in what would be a historic win at Aronimink in Philadelphia.
Much of America is probably not too familiar with Smalley, as he wasn’t close to a favorite to win the PGA Championship this year. Therefore, get to know the 54-hole leader.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP HQ:Live leaderboard | Tee times | TV schedule
Who is Alex Smalley?
Alex Smalley is a PGA Tour golfer who has not found much success as a professional just yet. Smalley attended Duke University from 2015 to 2019 and was one of the best golfers in college, earning several ACC honors in his four years with the Blue Devils.
Smalley turned pro in 2019 and played on the short-lived LOCALiQ Series before joining the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021. He then quickly earned his PGA Tour card and has been on the Tour ever since.
In his career, Smalley’s best OWGR was 63rd, which he reached after finishing tied for second at the 2023 John Deere Classic. However, Smalley is still looking for his first PGA Tour win, meaning he has spent most of his career ranked in the 100s.
However, Smalley entered the PGA Championship as the 78th-ranked player in the world thanks to a solid season. He has made the cut in all but one tournament this year, finishing second at the Zurich Classic and adding four more top-20 finishes in the lead-up to this event.
Smalley has appeared on Team USA for the Walker Cup, which the United States won. He went 3-1 in that tournament.
MORE: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler blast ‘absurd’ PGA Championship setup
Alex Small current odds
According to DraftKings, Smalley had pre-tournament odds of +17500 to win the PGA Championship. That put him in the same area as players like Sam Stevens, Keith Mitchell and Alex Fitzpatrick.
Despite leading the PGA Championship by two shots after three rounds, Smalley is a slight favorite to win the tournament. DraftKings has Smalley at +460 to win the PGA Championship, just barely edging out Jon Rahm at +465.
Has Alex Smalley won a PGA Tour event?
Smalley has never won a PGA Tour event despite being on the Tour for the over four years. Smalley has a handful of second-place finishes, most recently at the Zurich Classic, but still hasn’t crossed the finish line as a victor.
MORE: Why is Aaron Rai wearing two gloves at the PGA Chanpioship?
Alex Smalley college
Smalley attended Duke University for four seasons before turning pro. As a Blue Devil, Smalley set a handful of school records as he had the lowest career scoring average, lowest single-season scoring average, most top-five finishes and most sub-70 rounds at the time of his graduation.
Smalley once even went up against Scottie Scheffler in college, beating the then-Texas Longhorn in a singles match during the 2018 NCAA Championships.
How old is Alex Smalley
Smalley is 29 years-old and won’t turn 30 until October. He has been a professional golfer for much of his 20s despite not yet winning a tournament.
MORE: How long is PGA Champioship contender Jon Rahm tied to LIV Golf?
Where is Alex Smalley from?
Smalley was born in Rochester, New York but grew up in Greensboro North Carolina. He attended Duke University.
