Barely 24 hours before the 2025 PGA Championship teed off, Alex Smalley still wasn't sure if he'd get a chance to play.
As one of the alternates, Smalley's entrance in the field required an unfortunate exit from someone who already had a tee time secured. That exit wound up coming from Sahith Theegala, who sadly was forced to withdraw before Thursday's opening round with a neck injury
That news came down at 3:55 p.m. ET on Wednesday. By 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, Smalley had completed his first round with a four-under-par 67, tying the clubhouse lead with Ryan Fox — who is experiencing his own miraculous run over the last week.
Started the week as an alternate. Now Alex Smalley is sinking 71-foot putts 😮#PGAChamppic.twitter.com/pk7TgVMfEt
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025The 28-year-old started on the back nine, picking up three birdies on one bogey before going even lower on the front nine with a 33 that featured an eagle at No. 7.
However this ends for Smalley, it's been a wild 24 hours as he goes from the sidelines to the top of the leaderboard. Maybe the key to great golf is not knowing if you'll even get a chance to play.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Alex Smalley takes early PGA Championship lead hours after finding out he was playing
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