Davis Riley is heading into Sunday with a one-shot lead over the field at the Rocket Classic. After two bogey-free rounds, Riley needs to hold on for just another 18 holes.
This year has been extremely unforgiving to him on the course. He has missed 10 cuts in 20 starts, including last week’s 3M Open.
He revealed that he sometimes does not even feel like showing up to the course, especially considering Riley and his wife Alexandra Patton await big news later in August.
They are set to welcome their first child after getting married in December of 2022. And her wife’s hardships during these recent months have pushed him to show up.
“She’s definitely at home working hard, just as hard as I am, if not harder than I am out here this week,” Riley said. “She’s growing a human and trying to get ready for all that. I owe her everything. I’m thankful for her to go through pregnancy and probably to deal with me on tough days on the golf course.”
He also dedicates his performance this week to those close to him.
“I’m just lucky, honestly, to have the people around me who picked me up when I’ve been down,” he said. “I couldn’t do that without the people around me, so I have them to thank just as much as anyone.”
Davis Riley & Wife Alexandra Patton Were Alabama Sweethearts
GettyDavis Riley celebrates with his wife Alexandra Patton Riley after winning the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Patton and Riley met as students at the University of Alabama, where she studied hospitality management and event planning while cheering for the Crimson Tide football team.
They started dating in 2017, got engaged in February 2022 and married that year. Patton, born in Dallas in April 1997, has worked at Deloitte since 2021 in recruiting and coordination roles and she has also taught part-time at a Pilates studio.
Patton has largely stayed out of the spotlight, keeping her social media private.
This isn’t the first time Riley has performed under a personal strain. His 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge win came a week after his older sister, Caroline, needed emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor that doctors later confirmed was benign.
Riley considered withdrawing from that event before his family urged him to compete.
A Ticket to the Playoffs on the Line for Davis Riley
GettyDavis Riley reacts on the 18th green during the third round of the Rocket Classic 2026.
Riley entered the week 146th in the FedEx Cup standings, well outside the top 70 who advance to the postseason.
The Rocket Classic and next week’s Wyndham Championship are the last two chances to climb into position. A win Sunday would solve that problem instantly, locking in a trip to the playoffs, which start in two weeks, along with a two-year exemption on tour.
A victory would also be Riley’s third career PGA Tour title and his second as an individual, following the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans team win alongside Nick Hardy and his 2024 breakthrough at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Davis Riley & Wife Alexandra Patton Await Major Personal Announcement After Rocket Classic appeared first on HEAVY.