The 2026 PGA Championship<\/a> is witnessing two players whose steady career climbs have made for an unexpected, yet very much applauded, run for the Wanamaker Trophy. Tied on the top of the leaderboard going into Round 3<\/a> are Americans Maverick McNealy, age 30, and Alex Smalley, age 29, both of whom have spent their time on the PGA Tour quietly honing their skills for a moment like this weekend at Aronimink Golf Club. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For Smalley, his rise on the PGA Tour has been defined by his reliable ball-striking and his overall consistency on the golf course. Early career highlights<\/a> include finishing as runner-up at both the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship and the 2023 John Deere Classic, where he was praised for his ball-striking reliability. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hailing from Rochester, New York,<\/a> Smalley has quietly been putting in the work required for success at the higher echelons of the sport for years now. His first appearance on the circuit was at the 2017 U.S. Open, followed by a competitive run on the PGA Tour Canada that assisted him in securing his PGA Tour card<\/a> in September 2022. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Always an efficient player, it would be in proper form for Smalley to bundle winning the PGA Championship title with his first victory on the circuit for an elite ‘BOGO’ deal of a lifetime if all goes well for him through Sunday’s final round. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The current PGA Tour season is shaping up to be the best one yet for Smalley, and not just for his accomplishments on the golf course. The 29-year-old has also found joy with his girlfriend, Chelsea Groves. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Though exactly where the pair met is unknown, they both have a shared connection with Duke University in Durham, NC, where Smalley played on the golf team<\/a> all four years he attended and Groves currently serves as the Director of Social Media for Duke Athletics<\/a>. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n While they keep their relationship out of the spotlight, Groves regularly takes to her Instagram account to share snapshots of herself on the basketball court and conducting interviews as a sports broadcaster on the sidelines. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Having earned All-ACC Honors and All-ACC Selection<\/a> several times during his collegiate playing career, including ACC Student-Athlete of the Year title in 2019, Smalley is a true Blue Devil. For Groves, though, her conference allegiance is found with one of the ACC’s biggest competitors. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Having attended Butler University, she remains a proud supporter of the Big East conference and is frequently seen beaming whenever she posts a picture of herself standing on a Big East logo emblazoned on center court. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Groves and Smalley officially announced their relationship to the world with an autumn-themed selfie<\/a> posted to both of their Instagram accounts in this past November. All it takes is a quick look at the couple’s genuine joy in the photo to know that Smalley has found success both on and off the green this season. <\/p>\n <\/p>\nAlex Smalley and Chelsea Groves made their relationship ‘Instagram Official’ with a festive fall photo<\/h2>\n
![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_586,y_0,w_3264,h_3264\/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/the_athlete_lifestyle_on_si\/01krr6v3v1wyrht609f6.jpg\" "\\"Alex")
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