FORT WORTH, Texas — Alex Smalley is once again in a promising position at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, just two weeks after narrowly missing a win at the PGA Championship. Smalley, who is still pursuing his first PGA Tour victory, delivered a bogey-free 5-under 65 on Thursday. This performance places him among 12 players trailing by just one shot behind the six first-round leaders.
Among the leaders is Lee Hodges, who faced a two-hour weather delay during his round but still managed to finish with a bogey at the par-4 ninth. He shares the lead with reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Ryan Gerard, Andrew Putnam, Tom Kim, and Matt McCarty. The leaderboard is crowded, with 31 players within two shots of the lead at the historic Hogan’s Alley.
Defending champion Ben Griffin, who secured three victories last year, is currently at 2 under. Smalley, a Duke University alum, has been on a strong run, finishing 21st or better in his last six tournaments, including events in Houston, San Antonio, and New Orleans.
“It’s one of my favorite courses we play all year because I don’t think there’s any one person that it caters to,” said Hodges. “You don’t have to bomb it. You’ve got to have your whole game here. I think it’s a great test of golf.”
Smalley, who finished three shots behind Aaron Rai at the PGA Championship, is finding his rhythm again in Texas. His recent performances have been bolstered by precise putting, with four of his five birdie putts at Colonial being inside 5 feet.
Tom Kim, a South Korea native residing in Dallas, is considered a local favorite in the absence of top-ranked players Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, who skipped the event due to busy schedules. Kim had moments of brilliance, twice holding the lead at 7 under before encountering setbacks.
Ryan Gerard, who made all 17 of his putts inside 15 feet, finished with eight birdies and two bogeys. Meanwhile, Andrew Putnam’s bogey-free round included a strong finish with four birdies over his final eight holes.
Brian Harman, the 2023 British Open champion, expressed his fondness for playing in Texas, noting the favorable weather and course conditions. “I love playing golf in Texas, man,” said Harman. “I love this weather. I like it hot. I like the course a lot. It’s holding up pretty good for itself. The greens are soft and the scores are still, there’s nothing crazy out there.”
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
