Alex Smalley, member at Sedgefield Country Club, leads the PGA Championship after 3 rounds

Alex Smalley is in rare territory. The Duke graduate, Greensboro resident and member of Sedgefield Country Club is leading the PGA Championship.

The 29-year-old Smalley, who turned pro in 2019, fired a 2 under 68 on Saturday in the third round at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia.

He will head into Sunday's final round with a two-stroke lead on five other golfers. Among those is Aaron Rai, the 2024 winner of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club.

Smalley, who has made 141 career PGA Tour starts, is taming another Donald Ross layout so far in the PGA Championship and is at 6 under after 54 holes.

Smalley doesn't have a long history in major championships, with his best finish a tie for 23rd in the 2023 PGA Championship. He's never played in the Masters or The Open Championship, and in his one U.S. Open, in 2017, he missed the cut.

In fact, that U.S. Open was his PGA Tour debut after he qualified.

Smalley is playing in his fourth PGA Championship and last year tied for 28th.

Mark Brazil, the executive tournament director for the Wyndham Championship, said Smalley has been a big part of the tournament since turning pro.

"Alex is a really nice young man and a super talent," Brazil said. "He had a strong amateur career during his days at Duke, and now he's been a PGA Tour member for five or so years - and that is very impressive.

"He's been playing his best golf of his life these past couple months. I hope he gets comfortable early and plays well tomorrow."

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