Every kid’s got a dream but they don’t know whether it’s something they’ll even want when they’ll get older. But, in Alex Smalley’s case, the golfer knew what he wanted to do with his life. Born on October 21, 1996, in Rochester, New York, Smalley is a professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and has been making waves in the sport ever since he joined it. Smalley describes that his earliest golf memory was formed in his backyard, in North Carolina, where he hit a rubber golf ball through the snow. Well, I think we all got an idea of how that turned out. Today the golfer is one of the best out there, all thanks to his parents who believed in him.

A close look into Smalley’s life

Son of a family of four members, Alex Smalley was always loved and supported, which helped him reach his goal of becoming a golfer. His father, Terry, and mother Maria Smalley have been his greatest supporters. His mother is a notable achiever who earned her Ph.D. in 1995, from Duke University. It was in the footsteps of his mother that the golfer graduated from the same as well. Opting for environmental science in college and graduating in May 2019 with a decent GPA of  3.6, the golfer was more than an average student as well. Aside from golfing, Alex also likes to go to Disney land now and then.

The golfer has a sister named Katie and his parents have been seen caddying for him quote some times. His mother was a familiar face at the 2021 John Deere Classic, where she was Alex’s caddie. Ever since Alex turned pro in 2019, his mother has been his rock and provides him support every step of the way. Alex sees his mother as a lucky charm, “This profession can be very lonely at times, so I’m very grateful to have someone to travel with all the time and someone who knows me so well like my mom does”, said the golfer per WQAD8. There’s no denying that his mother has certainly done a lot.

The journey after turning pro

Smalley’s career has been decorated with multiple highlights. Even though starting as an amateur, he knew enough about the sport to land an incredible record of winning the Sunnehanna Amateur twice. He also represented his home country the United States in the Palmer Cup and Walker Cup in his amateur years. Eventually, his hard work paid off when his achievements earned him recognition as a Golfweek and Ping All-American, and he received the prestigious Rod Myers Award. Yes, he did all that in his amateur years!

After turning pro, Smalley made his PGA Tour debut at the 2017 U.S. Open and while he may not have scored well, he still kept trying. After honing his skills on the PGA Tour Canada and competing in the Korn Ferry Tour finals, he secured a PGA Tour card for the 2021-22 season.  Since then, the golfer has made notable finishes, which include a T-2 placing at the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship and again a T2 at the 2023 John Deere Classic. In the 2024 season so far he has achieved a season-low round of 63.

But all of this couldn’t have been possible without his mom and we know we have talked about this earlier as well. But the golfer does credit his mom for his success.

Alex Smalley calls his mother ‘mom-ager’

Talking about how he holds a special place for the John Deere Classic in his heart, considering it an important stepping stone in securing his PGA Tour card, the golfer said, “So this event has a special place in my heart because it kind of served as a stepping stone to (getting my PGA Tour card). So, yeah, any place where you can win it would be great, but it would be an extra cherry on top here”, he said.

And as we all know if that day ever comes when Smalley wins a PGA tour, he will run to his mother first to credit her. The golfer’s mom plays an important role in his career by accompanying him to every tournament or as she likes to call it their “family business.” From managing his affairs to keeping him organized, she does it all. “He calls me his mom-ager. I do his business stuff, I do his stats. That’s what I’m doing when I’m texting all the time. It helps to keep me focused so my head is not racing”, Maria said. So, what do you think about Smalley’s career? Let us know in the comment section below!