Stanford alum Maverick McNealy, who honed his game on the Junior Tour of Northern California, finally became a PGA Tour winner in his fifth year.
The Portola Valley native claimed the title at the season-ending RSM Classic at Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia in November by making birdie on the 18th hole after knocking his 6-iron approach shot to within 5 feet of the flagstick. The winning putt helped the now 29-year-old McNealy edge three players by a stroke.
“I’ve hit a putt to win a tournament a thousand times in my mind. It was almost like déjà vu standing over that last one,” McNealy said.
His younger brother, Scout, who was on the bag for the victory, flashed back to watching his brother compete in the NCGA Junior at Spyglass Hill.
“Hole 14 is a par 5 with a pond short right, and the pin was back right and up against the water and Mav had a hanging lie in the fairway,” Scout recalled. “He’s a junior in high school and 220 out and playing blades and he hit this 3-iron to 6 feet that just never left the pin. That’s when I knew he was special. I was like, “Woah, he’s good.’ ”
In 2015, while competing for the Cardinal, McNealy won the NCGA Amateur at Spyglass. Over his four seasons at Stanford, he was a three-time All-American who not only tied Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers with 11 career wins, but also finished with the lowest Cardinal men’s career scoring average (70.13). Accolades earned along the way were Nicklaus and Haskins Awards (2014-15) and Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson Awards (2017).
“I am absolutely exhausted, but the adrenaline is unbelievable,” said McNealy, who returned to golf in 2024 after having missed time due to a torn ligament between his collarbone and sternum, after his victory. “My team and family are here. I’m happy to get one for them.”
The victory came in his 134th start as a pro, and secured McNealy an invite to the Masters in April for the first time.