Alex Smalley was on the putting green at Quail Hollow, going through his drills and looking like any of the other 156 players at the PGA Championship. But he wasn’t. On the eve of the major, Smalley wasn’t sure he would have a tee time .

Duke and Wake Forest High School grad Alex Smalley didn’t know if he was going to tee it up at Quail Hollow until Wednesday afternoon.

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.