Stephen Franken is one of the young, upcoming stars on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing the 2020 season with a 9th place finish in the Orange County National Championship, leading the tournament at the 36-hole mark. Stephen looks forward to 2021 with great anticipation, looking to build on his first Top 10 finish.

Stephen had a storied amateur career at NC State as a two-time all ACC 1st Team member and a 2018 2nd Team All-American. Stephen has the lowest scoring average in NC State history and won two tournaments for the Wolfpack. Stephen was the 2018 ACC Player of the Year and represented the U.S. at the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup in France, where he went 2-2 in his four matches for the winning Team USA.

In 2019 Stephen finished T-4 at PGA Tour Canada Q-School, playing all four rounds under par. Stephen had two Top 25 finishes in 10 events and graduated to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020 with his journey including earning medalist honors at 2nd Stage and a T-7 finish at Final Stage, highlighted by a final round 65.

In the 2023 PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament USA East 3, Stephen had work to do after a second-round, 1-over 73 in his final 36 holes. He delivered, with a third-round, 6-under 66 and then closed with a 64—thanks to three birdies to finish his tournament—to defeat Mark Goetz by a stroke. Stephen earned PGA TOUR Canada membership and is eligible to play in every tournament.

Stephen lives in Raleigh, NC, where he can be found playing golf and supporting all of the local Carolina Pro sport teams. An NC State graduate in finance, Stephen is a bright and measured soon to be star on the PGA Tour.

Career Highlights & Awards:
ACC Player of the Year (2018)
ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2018)
Raleigh News & Observer Male Golfer of the Year (2014)
#50 Ranked Amateur Golfer in the World (2014)


Large, big-box retailers that carry a broad range of products. Ex: Walmart, Target, and Tesco.

Sell surplus or out-of-season merchandise at lower prices. Ex: T.J. Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, and Outlet Malls.

Primarily food-focused, but often include general merchandise sections. Ex: Kroger, Whole Foods, and Carrefour.

Stores focused on specific product verticals or hobbies.

Virtual marketplaces that sell digital goods (NFTs, in-game items, etc.). Ex.: Fortnite Item Shop, Roblox, and Decentraland.

Extreme value-focused retailers offering low-priced goods. Ex: Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Poundland.

Selling directly to consumers without 3rd-party retailers. Ex.: Brand-owned e-commerce sites, subscription boxes (Dollar Shave Club), and brand pop-ups.

Broad online marketplaces, often with global reach. Ex.: Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, and Mercado Libre.

Slightly more value-focused than high-end department stores. Ex: Kohl’s, and Dillard’s.

Traditional, multi-category stores with mid-to-high price ranges. Ex: Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and John Lewis.

Stephen Franken

Alex Smalley is a rising star in professional golf, after one of the most storied careers in NCAA history. After an All-State career in the NC high school ranks, Smalley went to Duke University where he made history. Smalley holds the best career scoring average in school history, the best single-season scoring average in school history, the most Top 5 finishes in school history and the most sub-70 rounds in school history. His amateur career includes two wins at the Sunnehanna Amateur Championships and a number of tournament victories and Alex made his PGA Tour debut in 2017 at the U.S. Open. Alex was a GolfWeek and Ping All-American, a Rod Myers Award winner and a member of the U.S. Palmer Cup and prestigious Walker Cup. Alex ranked 12th in the 2019 World Amateur Golf Ranking, turning Pro after his Walker Cup experience.


Alex made an immediate impact after turning Pro. Alex finished T-3 at the MacKenzie Tour PGA Canada Q-School, earning exempt status for the season. Although 2020 presented numerous challenges, Alex qualified for the 2020 Phoenix Open and played in numerous tournaments in 2020, winning his first professional tournament on the SwingThroughTour at Bermuda Run. Alex played in a number of LOCALIQ events and set the series record with a 60 at the 2nd Round of the Classic at Callaway Gardens. Alex finished in the Top 10 in the LOCALIQ points list and began 2021 on the PGA Tour at the Corales PuntaCana Championship by finishing T-14, his first PGA Tour Top 20 finish. 

In March of 2022, Alex made his first career runner-up on Tour at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Later that year in November, Alex finished T4 at the Cadence Bank Houston Open making two eagles that tied him with James Hahn and Taylor Montgomery for most in the field. A week later, Alex played at The RSM Classic, finishing T5, his second consecutive top-five on Tour. Alex had another top finish in July of 2023 at the John Deere Classic where he secured his second career runner-up finish.


Smalley made it to the final weekend of both The PGA Championship and The Players Championship in 2023. This year so far Smalley has made improvements in his short and long game allowing him to finish T6 at the 2024 Corales PuntaCana Championship and T12 at the 3M Open. Smalley has quickly become a fan favorite and a golfer to watch out for. Smalley is off to a solid start in the 2025 season, as he finished T21 in the Waste Management Open. At one point during the tournament, Smalley held the solo lead. Smalley finished T10 in the Mexico Open. 




Stephen Franken

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