Professional sports are all about opportunities. Just one could lead to life-changing moments, and Riley Smyth has been making the most of her opportunities in 2025.
Smyth teed it up at the 2025 Central Florida Championship, the Epson Tour's season-opener, after an up-and-down season in 2024 that saw her on the reserve list for almost the entire first half of the season. Hungry for revenge, the 25-year-old put together rounds of 69-67-66 to force a playoff with LPGA Tour veteran Matilda Castren and ultimately come out on top, earning her first professional victory.
Since then, Smyth has earned two additional top-10 finishes — a T8 result at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in April and another win at last week's Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands. She sits at No. 2 in the Race for the Card rankings as the Tour hits the halfway point of the season, looking to be in prime position to earn an LPGA Tour card for 2026.
"I think for any of us, the next win's always on the mind," Smyth said. "Being a competitor, that never leaves. No matter how many you have under your belt, you always want more. But I think I'm just playing consistent golf and making sure to really just keep things going, keeping things in line, because you never know when things will go cold in golf. So, trying to keep the hot streaks as long as possible."
Before picking up the victories, the University of Virginia alum found herself on the other side of the game, offering her a perspective that most professional golfers don't get.
While waiting on the reserve lists in 2024, Smyth traveled to most tournaments, picking up the bag for her buddies when her name didn't get called to compete. The Island Resort Championship was one of those tournaments, where she caddied for Kaleigh Telfer, who earned a T2 result.
Being a caddie gave the native of Tequesta, Florida, a different view of the game, ultimately and evidently changing her career for the better.
"I think caddying definitely changed my playing career in a lot of good ways, just being able to see the game from an outside perspective," Smyth said. "Much more of an objective perspective, rather than the subjective.
"While you're playing, you have all the extra emotions where, as a caddie, you gotta keep it very level-headed, very blunt, and just make sure that you're presenting the right information in the right way. I think that definitely changed my playing experience a lot, just being able to see things from a slightly different perspective."
Having seen Sweetgrass Golf Club as both a player and a caddie in her short stint on the Epson Tour, Smyth becomes a dark horse for the 2025 edition. While earning back-to-back wins is tough, it's not impossible, and a unique perspective could be just the push she needs to take home her third trophy.