Maverick McNealy Earns His First Win at Season Ender
Maverick McNealy's first win on the PGA Tour seemed more like an "it’s about time" moment than surprise that he finally got it done.
With 142 starts and 100 made cuts coming out of Stanford, McNealy was one of those can’t-miss type of players.
He won the Haskins Award, known as the Heisman Trophy of amateur golf; the Mark McCormick Medal, given to the top amateur in the amateur world rankings; and the Ben Hogan Award — the trifecta in amateur golf.
But his life since turning pro has not been a bust; converting his amateur achievement to professional success has been challenging.
Some of his issues were physical, such as when McNealy tore a ligament in his left shoulder.
The injury forced him off Tour from June to November 2024, during which time he used a mix of physical therapy, swing changes and regenerative stem-cell treatments.
Maverick McNealy hits his tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the 3M Open golf tournament.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Fulfilling his major medical exemption at the Farmers Insurance Open with a T37 in January, McNealy has put together a solid 2024 season with five top-10s. Those included a T9 at the Players Championship, his best finish in the event.
The 29-year-old McNealy also made his first cut in a major with a T24 in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, making what happened in the RSM Classic at Sea Island somewhat predictable.
“I would say that playing professional golf and trying to win a golf tournament late on Sunday is designed to make you as uncomfortable as you possibly can,” McNealy said. “Holes are challenging, the golf course plays about as hard as it does all week in those conditions. You're hitting golf shots that potentially could change your life. And that's the amazing thing about this tour is you have the potential to change your life every given week.”
Moving from 67th to 31st in the world rankings, the highest ever in his career, McNealy not only earned a break from golf for a while but also a spot in the Masters, his first as a professional.
McNealy’s first reaction to getting the golden ticket: “Masters? That’s pretty cool, that will be fun, and the PGA, nice."
“I don’t really know what comes with winning, but I do know next year’s going to be a challenging year playing for 100 cards," he added. "I guess I don’t have to — the pressure’s kind of off in that regard in that I’ll still have my card the year following. It will be fun to go out there feeling a little bit more free and playing to win. That was a big realization of mine starting my sophomore year of college, that it’s more fun to play to win than playing to not screw up. I think I’ll have a lot more freedom to go out there and try and win a few more of these.”
