A New Hope for Underdog Alex Smalley at US PGA Championship
As the US PGA Championship reaches its thrilling final day, Alex Smalley is stepping into the spotlight as a potential underdog hero. The American golfer has managed to pull ahead of some of the sport’s biggest names, including Rory McIlroy, and now faces the challenge of maintaining his lead against a fierce pack of competitors.
Smalley showcased remarkable resilience during the tournament, birdieing four of the last six holes to create a two-shot advantage at Aronimink Golf Club. This performance has placed him in a prime position to make history, despite not having won a PGA Tour event yet.
The leaderboard is packed with notable names, including Ryder Cup stars Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg, who are among the top contenders. Six-time major champion McIlroy and fellow major winners Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed also find themselves in the mix, making the competition more intense than ever.
Philadelphia, known for its iconic Rocky Balboa story, has a long tradition of embracing underdogs. Smalley, a 29-year-old in just his fifth major championship, fits this role perfectly. Despite his lack of PGA Tour wins, he has shown incredible determination, especially after holding the overnight lead and then bogeying three of his first four holes on Saturday. However, he made a strong comeback, securing a birdie on the final hole to reach six under par.
With 21 players within four shots of his lead, Smalley’s journey is far from over. “Anybody who wants to play golf for a living dreams of winning on the PGA Tour when they’re younger,” Smalley said. “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. I’m trying to downplay that as much as I possibly can just to make it seem like any other golf tournament.”
The first three days of the tournament have been marked by tightly packed leaderboards, with low-scoring proving difficult for all players. Before Smalley’s impressive performance, no one had managed to pull clear. McIlroy, aiming for back-to-back majors and a seventh overall, clawed his way back into contention by shooting a 66, standing one shot off the lead.
Jon Rahm joined the five-strong group at four under, alongside England’s Aaron Rai, Swede Ludvig Aberg, Canadian Nick Taylor, and German Matti Schmid. During his media interviews, Rahm expressed surprise at the tight competition, asking if anyone had ever seen anything like it. “As hard as it is to play, the challenge can also be kind of fun if you do well,” Rahm said. “That’s probably the reason why the leaderboard is so bunched up and it’s going to be such a good Sunday tomorrow. So in that sense, showmanship-wise, they’ve done a great job.”
Justin Rose made a strong comeback, matching the best round of the week with a 65 and will start Sunday four shots off the lead. Meanwhile, world number one Scottie Scheffler struggled to a one-over round of 71. “Going into tomorrow, it’s quite literally anybody’s tournament,” Scheffler said. “There’s a lot of guys that have a chance. Somebody is going to have a great round, and I’m going to make sure to do my best to give myself the best shot at being the one who has a great round.”
Selected Round Four Tee Times
- 5:05pm (all times BST) – Scottie Scheffler and David Puig
- 6:25pm – Justin Rose and Joaquin Niemann
- 7:05pm – Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele
- 7:15pm – Aaron Rai and Ludvig Aberg
- 7:25pm – Nick Taylor and Jon Rahm
- 7:35pm – Alex Smalley and Matti Schmid
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