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.

Alex Smalley was the fifth alternate in the PGA Championship when the field was announced last week. He was first alternate when the week began.