Who Is Alex Smalley? Get To Know The PGA Championship Contender
He was born in Rochester, New York, and turned pro in 2019. We profile the PGA pro player and share some interesting facts about his career to date
Everyone has their own interesting story of how they got to the top of the game. For Alex Smalley, it began in the backyard in the snow in North Carolina...
Alex Smalley Facts
1. He was born in Rochester, New York on October, 21, 1996
2. His first golf memory was hitting a rubber golf ball in his backyard in the snow in North Carolina
3. He played a few different sports growing up before focusing on golf from around the age of 10
4. He's a big fan of Disney World
5. He graduated from Duke University with a 3.6 GPA, where he set the record for the lowest scoring average at 71.32 and the single-season scoring record of 70.35
6. Smalley once beat Scottie Scheffler 5&4 in a singles match at the 2018 NCAA Championships, a victory that helped his Blue Devils team into the semifinals
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7. Finished one stroke back of the all-time scoring record during the strokeplay of the 2016 US Amateur
8. He was a member of both the 2019 US Arnold Palmer Cup team and the Walker Cup team
9. Smalley made his PGA Tour debut, qualifying for the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills when he was an amateur, shooting seven-under par in the 36-hole qualifier
Alex Smalley in Walker Cup action in 2019
10. He turned professional in 2019
11. He earned his PGA Tour card for the first time in 2021
12. His father, Terry, and mother, Maria, have both caddied for him during his career
13. Maria sometimes takes videos of him when he's playing and sends them to his coach. She also manages the statistics program he uses
14. He carries no more than two tees in his right pocket during a round
Alex Smalley Bio
Born | October 21, 1996 - Rochester, New York |
Resides | Greensboro, North Carolina |
Height | 6ft (1.83m) |
College | Duke University |
Turned Pro | 2019 |
Former Tours | Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Canada |
Current Tours | PGA Tour |
Pro Wins | 0 |
Highest OWGR | 63rd |
Best Major Finish | T23rd (2023 PGA Championship) |

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. A multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the England football team, The FA Cup, London 2012, and the FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment, travel and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including seven World No.1s, and has attended and reported on numerous Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. He's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, UK.
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