World No. 48 · United States
Alex Smalley
#48
World rank
#38
Best rank
0
Wins
0
Majors
23
Top 10s
Alex Smalley was born in Rochester, New York, and raised in Wake Forest, North Carolina, by two parents who both hold doctorates in chemistry. He was a strong student as well as a top junior, and at Duke he set the program's career scoring record, earned All-America honors and once beat Scottie Scheffler in NCAA match play.
He won the Sunnehanna Amateur twice and played on the winning 2019 U.S. Walker Cup team before turning professional that year. Smalley earned his PGA Tour card through the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals and has been a steady presence since, with runner-up finishes at Puntacana and the John Deere Classic.
He is still chasing a first official win, but he has come close on big stages. He contended at the 2025 Players Championship, and at the 2026 PGA Championship he took a two-shot lead into the final round before closing with 70 to finish tied for second with Jon Rahm, three behind Aaron Rai. He is now ranked inside the top 50 in the world.
World ranking history
Official World Golf Ranking position. Higher on the chart is better.
Show as table
| Year end | World ranking |
|---|---|
| 2026 | #48 |
| 2025 | #122 |
| 2024 | #179 |
| 2023 | #83 |
| 2022 | #91 |
| 2021 | #322 |
| 2020 | #851 |
| 2019 | #2063 |
| 2018 | #2006 |
| 2017 | #1933 |
| 2016 | #1871 |
| 2015 | #1710 |
| 2014 | #1549 |
Major championships
Finish at every major start. T = tied, MC = missed cut.
| Year | Masters | PGA | U.S. Open | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | · | T2 | MC | T53 |
| 2025 | · | T28 | · | · |
| 2024 | · | MC | · | · |
| 2023 | · | T23 | · | · |
| 2017 | · | · | MC | · |
Season results
| Event | Finish |
|---|---|
| Baycurrent Classic | T63 |
| Bmw Pga Championship | T62 |
| TOUR Championship | 27 |
| BMW Championship | T16 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | T24 |
| Wyndham Championship | T7 |
| The 154th Open | T53 |
| Genesis Scottish Open | MC |
| Travelers Championship | T47 |
| U.S. Open | MC |
| the Memorial Tournament | MC |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | T3 |
| PGA Championship | T2 |
| Truist Championship | T17 |
| Cadillac Championship | T7 |
| Valero Texas Open | T14 |
| Texas Children's Houston Open | T21 |
| Valspar Championship | T46 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | T24 |
| Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches | T52 |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | T19 |
| WM Phoenix Open | T35 |
| Farmers Insurance Open | MC |
| The American Express | T44 |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | T40 |
| Event | Finish |
|---|---|
| The RSM Classic | T62 |
| Butterfield Bermuda Championship | T3 |
| Bank of Utah Championship | MC |
| Baycurrent Classic | T4 |
| Sanderson Farms Championship | MC |
| Procore Championship | MC |
| Wyndham Championship | MC |
| 3M Open | T44 |
| Genesis Scottish Open | T34 |
| John Deere Classic | MC |
| Rocket Classic | MC |
| RBC Canadian Open | T13 |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | MC |
| U.S. Pga Championship | T28 |
| ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic | T5 |
| THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | T39 |
| Corales Puntacana Championship | T63 |
| Valero Texas Open | MC |
| Texas Children's Houston Open | MC |
| Valspar Championship | MC |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | T14 |
| Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches | T18 |
| Mexico Open at VidantaWorld | T10 |
| WM Phoenix Open | T21 |
| Farmers Insurance Open | MC |
| The American Express | 11 |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | T16 |
| Event | Finish |
|---|---|
| The RSM Classic | MC |
| Butterfield Bermuda Championship | T29 |
| World Wide Technology Championship | T39 |
| Shriners Children's Open | 65 |
| Black Desert Championship | T25 |
| Sanderson Farms Championship | T5 |
| Procore Championship | MC |
| Wyndham Championship | MC |
| 3M Open | T12 |
| Barracuda Championship | T33 |
| ISCO Championship | T37 |
| John Deere Classic | MC |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | MC |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | WD |
| U.S. Pga Championship | MC |
| Myrtle Beach Classic | T20 |
| THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | T13 |
| Corales Puntacana Championship | T6 |
| Valero Texas Open | MC |
| Texas Children's Houston Open | MC |
| Valspar Championship | MC |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | MC |
| Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches | MC |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | MC |
| Genesis Invitational | MC |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 75 |
| Farmers Insurance Open | MC |
| The American Express | T21 |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | MC |