{"id":2042,"date":"2026-05-18T05:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=2042"},"modified":"2026-05-18T05:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:45:15","slug":"alex-smalley-tees-off-at-us-pga-under-pressure-from-major-champions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=2042","title":{"rendered":"Alex Smalley tees off at US PGA under pressure from major champions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0\" data-component=\"Newsletter\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"independent\" style=\"display:contents\">\n<aside class=\"sc-y4bm30-0 jwWhkK newsletter-component sc-1ge0fwe-0\" data-newsletter-key=\"receiveInsideSportNews\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-1 inRDZn\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-3\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-4 hfveGa\">\n<p><h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-6 fvoxRM cLEJmn\">Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sport<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-8 fvoxRM iTZFOX\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-7 fvoxRM iGYpOF\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hKcUSR sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1ix0cah-0 PYnPb sc-y4bm30-10 fUEDPX\"><use href=\"#600f53465147d717\"\/><\/svg><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk sc-y4bm30-9 iQYNfz\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>US PGA Championship leader Alex Smalley began his final round with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/rory-mcilroy\">Rory McIlroy<\/a> among a host of challengers breathing down his neck.<\/p>\n<p>Smalley, without so much as a PGA Tour win to his name, took a grip of the championship on Saturday evening as he birdied four of the last six holes to pull two shots clear of the pack at Aronimink Golf Club.<\/p>\n<p>But, with an extraordinary 21 players within four shots of his six-under-par score, including a host of major champions, it was a question of who could make a charge.<\/p>\n<p>McIlroy, chasing a seventh major title and the second in a row, started three back and one adrift of a crowded group at four under \u2013 which featured two-time major champion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/jon-rahm\">Jon Rahm<\/a>, England\u2019s Aaron Rai and Sweden\u2019s Ludvig Aberg.<\/p>\n<p>World number one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/scottie-scheffler\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a> was struggling to find the fireworks he needed to slash his five-shot deficit.<\/p>\n<p>Teeing off two-and-a-half hours before Smalley, a birdie at the second was wiped out by a bogey at the fifth but he picked up another at the ninth to turn four adrift.<\/p>\n<p>Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, was the first to make a serious move with three birdies from the first five taking him level with the ever-growing group two back at four under.<\/p>\n<p>He was joined there by former Open champion Cameron Smith, two-time winner Justin Thomas and Friday\u2019s overnight co-leader Maverick McNealy, before a bogey at the seventh checked Matsuyama\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/justin-rose\">Justin Rose<\/a>, who only made the weekend thanks to a stunning chip-in eagle at the last on Friday, opened with a birdie to move three back \u2013 following a brilliant 65 on Saturday \u2013 as McIlroy walked to the first tee.<\/p>\n<p>He and playing partner Xander Schauffele, the 2024 champion, both found the rough at the first but McIlroy sunk a testing par putt.<\/p>\n<p>American Kurt Kitayama had earlier showed what was possible as he carded the best round of the week with a seven-under-par 63, the joint-lowest final round in major history, to set the clubhouse lead at three under.<\/p>\n<p>England\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/matt-fitzpatrick\">Matt Fitzpatrick<\/a>, who was one of the pre-tournament favourites after winning three times on the PGA Tour this season, ended a tough week on a high note with a five-under 65.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-768x512.jpg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-1024x683.jpg",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d.jpg",1200,800,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-1115x715.jpg",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16-f1834f9e4b554c44b70eeeeaaea2ee6d-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a 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