Alex

Smalley

Smalley enters the week on the top-50 FedExCup bubble (47th). That 50 number gets him into big events and is also the cutoff for leg two of the playoffs. He’s well aware of his position, “So with the schedule changes for next year, obviously everybody wants to be in the top 50 to get into those elevated or just designated events. Once that was announced, obviously it was a goal of mine to be in the top 50 at the end of the season so I could play those bigger events next season.” Perhaps having that on his mind will distract him from some of the pressures that come from playing your home course in front of all your friends and family. Smalley has finished T-29 and T-13 in two tries at Sedgefield Country Club so he’s done a fine job of blocking out those external distractions.

The Duke product gained nearly eight strokes on approach over the weekend at TPC Deere Run. It was a stripe show but his putter went cold on Sunday, losing more than half a shot with the flat stick. “It was my first Sunday in the last group. I birdied two of the first three holes, so I couldn’t really imagine getting off to a much better start that would kind of settle me down a little bit.” This will go in the books as his fourth career top-5 finish and second time tying for second place (2022 Corales).

Smalley had been slumping in 2023 with 8-of-11 finishes landing outside of the top 60. He flipped that script last week with a T18 at Quail Hollow Club. He’s now 70th in the FedExCup race but won’t add any points to his tally this week at TPC Craig Ranch. Gamers should make sure they remove him from all weekly considerations at the Nelson.

The Duke Blue Devil arrived off a T11 at the Bermuda Championship and a T4 in Houston. He showcased a wide range of skills going from a short coastal course to a beefy, let-it-rip track in Texas. Smalley tuned back to his short-course game and kept the momentum rolling at Sea Island. Steady striking was the name of the game as he ranked 1st in strokes gained tee-to-green (T18 in fairways hit and T2 in GIR). Smalley’s strong finish to the fall has jumped him to 22nd in the early FedExCup standings. The 26-year-old remains on the hunt for his breakout win on the PGA TOUR level.

The Duke alum proved comfortable on the bermudagrass greens at Memorial Park, gaining 3.9 strokes putting for the week. It was a balanced attack though as he gained at least 1.4 strokes in all four sub-categories of strokes gained. His 52 GIR was good for T10 in the field. This will go in the books as his ninth career top 15 on the PGA TOUR, second at Memorial Park Golf Course. He’s showing lots of repeat success on the same courses so gamers should take note he tees it up where he’s had past success.

The Duke alum and Sedgefield CC member arrived 63rd in the FedExCup standings. This is his second Wyndham after a T29 last year as a non-member, sponsor invite (68-64-72-66), and spoke to his support this week and his expectations afterward (link below): “It’s great to have the support of the whole family and a lot of the members as well. I would say I met them (expectations). I wasn’t super happy with the way I hit the driver today. My putting was really, really good, but other than that, everything else just kind of felt average.” On eight (of 14) fairways and 11 greens in regulatlon, the 25-year-old outflanked one bogey-4 at 12 (failed scramble) with six birdies at 4, 5, 8. 11, 13 and 15, posting 2.284 SG: Tee-to-Green and 2.216 SG: Putting.

Smalley enters the week at 67th in the FedExCup race, a much different position than he found himself in last year when he relied on a sponsor’s invite to play at his home course. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Wyndham Championship, and Bobby Long and Mark Brazil, for giving me a chance to prove myself, I certainly wouldn’t have my TOUR card right now if it wasn’t for them.” He’s referencing his finish last year at the Wyndham (T29) that earned him a spot in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Smalley has been active this season with 27 events played, turning three of those into top 10s. He continues to search for his first TOUR win and it would be quite the story if it came on his home course this week.

Smalley started his day with back-to-back bogeys and missed a chance from inside of eight feet just a few holes later. That’s not what you’d expect to see from one of the lowest rounds of the day but Smalley ended in style, gaining 5.7 strokes over the field during his final 13 holes played today. The putter was a big part of the puzzle with a trio of birdie bombs drained from outside of 19 feet. The PGA TOUR rookie started the week at 68th in the FedExCup standings and is in a great position to pad those FedEx totals. He’ll start the finale just four shots behind the 54-hole lead set by Xander Schauffele.

The 25-year-old, making his tourney debut, will be in the penultimate threesome on Sunday with Sam Burns and R1/R2 leader and today’s playing competitor Wyndham Clark (68). He’s posted three straight rounds of 67, including a six-birdie three-birdie showing on Saturday, and ranks No. 1 SG: Tee-to-Green (13.438) though 61st SG: Putting (-1.906), losing ground with the flat stick in all three laps thus far, but did end today with birdie-3 at 17 (from 16'10") and a par-saver at the last from 12'8". The Duke alum is chasing a third top 10 of the season in 23 events, first since T6 at the Mexico Open four starts ago (solo 7th thru 54 holes), and looking to supplant a career-best T2 at the opposite-field Corales back in March, where he was T9 at the three-quarter mark (69-65-73-65).

The Duke alum got his day started with a bang, holing out for eagle at the par-5 ninth hole and added a 29'9" birdie bomb just five holes later. He slowed his pace with a few soft bogeys but kept the pressure on with three more birdies before his day was over. “I didn’t drive it as well today, but I scrambled a little bit. The fairways I did miss I felt like I missed it on a side where I was shooting kind of up the green instead of across the bunker or something. So I was able to make a score out of it.” The stats verify that he gained roughly two fewer strokes off-the-tee today but two more around-the-green. He currently shares the clubhouse lead with Keith Mitchell. If this score holds up it would be Smalley’s first time posting a 36-hole lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR although he’s been solo second at the midpoint twice (T2/2022 Corales; T6/2022 Mexico Open). UPDATE: With R2 complete, Smalley is in a five-way T2, one back, and will be in the final pairing on Saturday with R1/R2 leader Wyndham Clark.