Duke Alums on the 2024 PGA and LPGA Tours

Alex Smalley is currently tied for 6th in qualifying for the US Open at the Duke Golf Course, shooting a 2 under par round in the first 18 of 36 holes that they have to play today. He needs a strong second round because there are several players tied at 6th place after the first round. Julien Suri is tied for 42nd place with a 2 over par round in the first 18. Needs to go low in the second round.
 
If anyone is in the area and has a chance to hop over go watch the 15 year old Miles Russell as he tries to qualify. He’ll never break Tigers records in large party because the competition is so much deeper and better than it was 35 years ago (Tigers said the same thing himself regarding the level of junior competition) but it’s not completely crazy to say he’s the best American 14-15 year old in the history of the game.
 
Alex Smalley is currently tied for 6th in qualifying for the US Open at the Duke Golf Course, shooting a 2 under par round in the first 18 of 36 holes that they have to play today. He needs a strong second round because there are several players tied at 6th place after the first round. Julien Suri is tied for 42nd place with a 2 over par round in the first 18. Needs to go low in the second round.

I think you spoke too soon. This shows Alex carded a snowman on 18 this morning and finished 2 over. He's currently T40 and probably out of it.

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/4441980

The kid cited by mdj is currently -2 and one shot out of T5. There will probably be a playoff for that 5th spot. 27 players are under par and T5 is currently -3.
 
I think you spoke too soon. This shows Alex carded a snowman on 18 this morning and finished 2 over. He's currently T40 and probably out of it.

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/4441980

The kid cited by mdj is currently -2 and one shot out of T5. There will probably be a playoff for that 5th spot. 27 players are under par and T5 is currently -3.

Nothing like a snowman to ruin a good round. Alex must have made several poor shots on 18; tight fairway, but wouldn’t expect a pro to have a quad on this hole.
 
Nothing like a snowman to ruin a good round. Alex must have made several poor shots on 18; tight fairway, but wouldn’t expect a pro to have a quad on this hole.

He's definitely done, +3 on the afternoon and 8 strokes out of T5 with 10 holes to play. I really wish I knew what was wrong with him, he's not the golfer that he was a year ago. I understand Kevin, he's 45. Alex is just reaching his prime for the next 10 to 12 years.

Edit: Make that 9 strokes out. Cut just moved to -4.
 
He's definitely done, +3 on the afternoon and 8 strokes out of T5 with 10 holes to play. I really wish I knew what was wrong with him, he's not the golfer that he was a year ago. I understand Kevin, he's 45. Alex is just reaching his prime for the next 10 to 12 years.

Edit: Make that 9 strokes out. Cut just moved to -4.

Greyserman in 2nd place at Canoe Brook in NJ. He’s about halfway through the 2nd round.
 
Greyserman in 2nd place at Canoe Brook in NJ. He’s about halfway through the 2nd round.

Good for Max, hope he can hold on. It would be his 1st major.

We'll know a lot more about Alex in a month. He has the next 3 weeks off, but his 2nd event back will be the John Deere where he scored a T2 last year, his best finish on the tour. He has always played pretty well there. I hope he finds his game in the interim.

Edit: Alex has withdrawn at the turn. Remember he had a WD at his previous event last week. That was reportedly due to an illness, but I'm wondering if he has a nagging injury. It doesn't take much to affect a golfer's game. Hoping some time off works wonders.

2nd Edit: Max has a 2-shot cushion with 2 holes left. Follow here: https://www.usopen.com/2024/final-qualifying/summit-new-jersey.html
 
Last edited:
Nothing like a snowman to ruin a good round. Alex must have made several poor shots on 18; tight fairway, but wouldn’t expect a pro to have a quad on this hole.
Yea, I hate those "8's" but with the downturn in my golf game lately, I'm becoming more familiar with Mr. Snowman.
 
Max birdies his 17th hole (#8) and now has a 3-shot cushion with 1 hole to play! (actually it's 4-shot cushion, he could triple-bogey and still make it)
 
Max birdies his 17th hole (#8) and now has a 3-shot cushion with 1 hole to play! (actually it's 4-shot cushion, he could triple-bogey and still make it)

And he finishes at -11 and a tie for qualifying honors. He shot 28 on the 2nd round outgoing nine.

Hope he can do well at the US Open, still needs to play ok to keep his card.
 
And he finishes at -11 and a tie for qualifying honors. He shot 28 on the 2nd round outgoing nine.

Hope he can do well at the US Open, still needs to play ok to keep his card.

Yep, he needs to make the cut and have a good weekend. 50% bonus on FedExCup points. Could go a long way towards securing his card for next year.
 
Max shoots a +1, 71 today. Very solid round and he's on the right track to make the cut. I expect the afternoon to be brutal today with high scores.

Of course, Max will play tomorrow afternoon with temps in the mid-90s and expect the greens to be super fast.
 
Max shoots a +1, 71 today. Very solid round and he's on the right track to make the cut. I expect the afternoon to be brutal today with high scores.

Of course, Max will play tomorrow afternoon with temps in the mid-90s and expect the greens to be super fast.

Yes very solid round and it will be interesting to see how the course plays this afternoon. About halfway thru the first round it looks like the pace puts the cut line at +3 to +4. Things can obviously change a bunch…
 
And rising Duke sophomore, Bryan Kim, is 2 over par after his first round. With a solid round tomorrow, he may make the cut. But he will play in the afternoon tomorrow too when I think the course will be playing much harder.
 
And rising Duke sophomore, Bryan Kim, is 2 over par after his first round. With a solid round tomorrow, he may make the cut. But he will play in the afternoon tomorrow too when I think the course will be playing much harder.

Thanks, didn’t know he made the field.
 
Thanks, didn’t know he made the field.
Yes, as the reigning US Junior Amateur champion (he won last Summer), Bryan was an automatic qualifier for the US Open. Duke has had some very good male golfers over the years but I'm not sure Duke has ever had a US Junior champion (male) before?
 
Max has played 6 holes in his second round and is 1 over for the day and 2 over for the tournament. The projected cut is +3, so Max doesn't have a lot of room for mistakes for the rest of his round today. Bryan Kim has just begun his second round. Very hot today in Pinehurst, in the 90's, and the course is playing harder than yesterday.
 
Back
Top