Alex Smalley withdrew from the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge ahead of the second round. The American golfer teed off in the first round of the event on Thursday, May 23, but was forced to withdraw due to illness.
He shot a 78 in the first round, making a rough start, but could not complete the four-round event. PGA Tour Communications confirmed the news on their X (formerly Twitter) account with a caption saying:
“Alex Smalley (illness) WD prior to the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge.”
It is important to note that Alex Smalley is not the only one who withdrew from the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge. Adam Schenk also withdrew from the competition following the first round. He shot a 75 on Thursday before moving out of the event.
Smalley struggled in the first round when he teed off on the first hole. He started the game with a double bogey and added a bogey on the fifth hole.
Smalley had another bogey on the seventh and then on the 14th. He completed the game with another double bogey on the 17th to score 78. He finished far below the projected cutline of over par 1. However, before he could tee off for the second round, his health forced him to opt out of the competition.
Following the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge, Charley Hoffman took the lead with a round of 65. He shot a bogey-free round of 5 under par.
Hoffman started off strongly with a birdie on the first hole, adding another birdie on the third. He made three birdies on the front nine and two on the back nine to take the lead. The 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge will have its finale on Sunday, May 26.
A look into Alex Smalley’s performance in 2024
Alex Smalley had played in 16 events this season on the PGA Tour. He started his season at the Sony Open but failed to make the cut. He then played at The American Express and was fortunate to tie for 21st position.
Alex Smalley missed the cut again at the Farmers Insurance Open before finishing 75th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He struggled significantly in the mid-season events, missing the cut in seven consecutive tournaments.
However, after this long struggle, he delivered an impressive performance at the Corales Puntacana Championship, where he tied for sixth place, his best finish of the season. He then tied for 13th place at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and T20 at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
Most recently, Alex Smalley played at the PGA Championship but failed to make the cut. He has missed the cut in 11 tournaments this season.
