Charlotte, NC – Alex Smalley was at Green in Quail Hollow, going through his exercises and resembled any of the other 156 players in the PGA championship. But not. On the eve of the elder, Smalley was not sure he had a TEE time.
And then, in a period of approximately 20 hours, the native of North Carolina went from the first alternative to a low 67 that kept its name around the upper part of the classification on Thursday.
“I really prepared like any other week,” said Smalley. “Obviously, it is interesting to be the first alternative. I was losing hope after every hour of pass. And you know, it is heard that everyone’s ailments are the first alternatives.”
In this case, it was Sahith Theegala who had to retire during the Truist championship last week at Philadelphia Cricket Club. And his neck injury never improved so that the Californian play the PGA championship, a specialization that ended in the top 15 a year ago. Then he was out.
Smalley was inside.
He had three birdies in a four -hole stretching in the back nine (after starting at number 10), he dropped a couple of shooting in the hard 4S in the nine strikers and then returned to the mixture making a 70 feet putt on the green in the seventh torque 5 for Eagle.
Smalley made a short Putt Birdie in the eighth torque 4, achieved the pair in the brutal today of the ninth hole and had its lowest score in its third appearance in the PGA championship.
He felt bad for Theegala, but only to some extent.
“I wish you the best and I hope to have it back here as quickly as possible because players and I know that fans really like it,” Smally said. “It was a shame to see him not being able to play this week. But it was good to have the opportunity to play.”
Smalley already had a close call when entering Quail Hollow. The PGA championship takes all the winners of the PGA Tour, and Smalley was two shots of the head in the back nine at the Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday. He did not invent ground, but there was still hope.
The PGA championship maintained an open place in case Myrtle Beach winner had already qualified for Quail Hollow. The tournament was reduced to Ryan Fox, Mackenzie Hughes and Harry Higgs. Hughes was already in the PGA, so if he won, then Smalley would be as an alternative.
Hughes made Bogey in the last hole and Fox won the playoffs. Smalley was still an alternative.
Smalley led Greensboro home and did not bother to come until Monday night. And then he treated him like any other tournament, playing nine holes when he could due to the rain, the practice, another nine holes on Wednesday morning, more waiting and waiting.
What helped be normal was to receive attention on Wednesday afternoon. Otherwise, I would have had to be in the practice area from 7 am to 2:37 pm, Tee’s last hour.
The alternatives of the PGA championship leave a special money list PGA Tour. Smalley was the fifth alternative when the The field was announced last week.
Unlike other specialties that have an alternative list, this group are usually PGA Tour players capable of hanging with the best. John Daly won the 1991 PGA championship as the ninth substitute in his rookie season at the PGA Tour.
Smalley was for the first time alternative several times in the PGA Tour, obtaining the predated call of the opening rounds.
“I think I’ve had a decent luck at the beginning before, but I don’t want to be in that position anymore,” he said.
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