Meet Sacramento pro golfer Austin Smotherman before Arnold Palmer Invitational

Sacramento area native Austin Smotherman arrived at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla., this week with the hopes of getting his first PGA Tour win.

He tees off Thursday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Smotherman has finished in the top 10 twice in his past 10 appearances. His best finish came at last week’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, where he finished tied for second with a 15-under score.

The Loomis man, who remembers playing on the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex as a kid, is coming off his first time in a final group at the Cognizant Classic, an experience that gave him “a lot of confidence in hitting golf shots with a lot more, a lot more people, a little bit of added pressure,” he said in an interview with Beyond the Clubhouse shared by the Sacramento Bee’s video content provider VideoElephant.

Smotherman said the key was staying grounded in the same routines that had him in contention.

“I felt like I handled it pretty well as far as staying in my bubble, same conversations, routines, things we were doing Thursday, Friday, when it seemed like we really couldn’t miss, especially on the greens,” he said in the interview with Garrett Johnson. “I just stay patient and tons of confidence coming in this week and go figure out Bay Hill today.”

Even as he talks about majors, Smotherman’s thoughts can drift back to Sacramento. He recalled junior days at Haggin Oaks, riding in carts or walking while his parents pushed.

“I remember turning 12 years old and getting to play 18 holes on the MacKenzie side,” he said. “And my first, you know, big boy golf tournament.”

Smotherman played collegiate golf at Southern Methodist University.

This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 11:06 AM.

David Caraccio

The Sacramento Bee

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David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers as a reporter, editor, page designer and digital content producer.