Alex Smalley’s mother is monitoring his every step at the PGA Championship

Alex Smalley and His Supportive Mother at the PGA Championship

During the final round of the PGA Championship, Alex Smalley found himself holding the largest lead of his professional golfing journey. Amid all the excitement, though, it was the presence of his mother, Maria, that caught a lot of attention.

Maria Smalley, often just referred to as Alex’s “mom,” became a notable figure as her son climbed to the top of the leaderboard this weekend. She’s reportedly kept meticulous records of his golf journey, dating back to his high school days and extending through his time at Duke University and into his professional career.

Though she has generally remained out of the limelight, her active role during this championship was hard to overlook.

Maria, a chemist with a PhD from Duke, has been recording statistics at tournaments since Alex was a senior in high school, maintaining that habit even throughout his college and now professional career.

According to sources, her documentation goes beyond mere scores. Each event sees her noting important details such as the distance to the flag, club choices, and wind conditions. “She keeps track of a myriad of factors whenever possible, like altitude and slope,” a report mentioned.

She even shared recently that during matches, she stays engaged with business aspects, looking up stats while texting, which helps her focus and avoid distraction. “It’s really about keeping myself occupied,” she mused about her on-course routine.

This week has been particularly significant for Alex, who came into the PGA Championship without a tour win to his name. Before this event, his highest finish in a major was a tie for 23rd at the 2023 PGA Championship.

At 29, Smalley shot a 68 during the third round and started the final day at 6 under, just two shots behind the leaders. But, he faced a setback with a double bogey on the par-4 sixth hole, which put him two strokes back from the leader, Matty Schmidt. During that moment, there were four other players, including Jon Rahm, tied for second place at 5 under.