15 Things You Didn't Know About Maverick McNealy

Maverick McNealy earned his PGA Tour card in 2019, but here are some facts you might not know about him

Maverick McNealy looks on whilst holding his putter
(Image credit: Getty Images)

15 Things You Didn't Know About Maverick McNealy

1. Maverick Scott McNealy was born in California on 7th November 1995.

2. He is six feet, one inch tall.

3. Like his three brothers, Dakota, Colt and Scout, Maverick is named after an American car because of their grandfather who worked in the Detroit auto industry (Ford Maverick, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Colt, Jeep Scout).

4. McNealy's father is Scott McNealy, founder of tech company, Sun Microsystems. In 2010, the business was acquired Oracle corporation for $7.4 billion.

5. Growing up, his first love was ice hockey and it was only after high school that he began to focus solely on golf.

6. McNealy attended Stanford University to study Management Science and Engineering.

7. Prior to attending Stanford, he qualified for the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst aged 18. He would go on to miss the cut.

8. The following year, McNealy announced himself as one of the best college golfers when he shot a 61 in the Pac-12 Conference Championship. The score tied the Stanford record held by Tiger Woods and Cameron Wilson.

9. In 2017, he won the Ben Hogan Award for best US collegiate golfer.

10. McNealy stayed at Stanford for four years to finish his degree, at one point claiming he may not turn professional and, instead, pursue a career in business. Ultimately, the American did turn pro after the 2017 Walker Cup at Los Angeles Country Club.

Maverick McNealy swinging his driver while wearing a royal blue polo shirt


(Image credit: Getty Images)

11. He began competing on the Web.com Tour after turning pro, ultimately earning his PGA Tour card for the 2019-20 season after a impressive season on the Korn Ferry Tour.

12. McNealy is yet to win on the PGA Tour circuit but has two runner-up finishes - at the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and at the 2021 Fortinet Championship.

13. He reached a career high ranking of 57th in January 2023.

14. The American missed a large portion of the 2023 season due to a shoulder injury. During the time off, he earned his pilot's license. 

15. McNealy is married to his partner Maya Daniels. He previously dated LPGA Tour star Danielle Kang.

HOW FAR DOES Maverick McNealy DRIVE THE BALL?

During the 2022/23 PGA Tour season, McNealy averaged just shy of 300 yards in driving distance. That ranked him 99th amongst PGA Tour players for the season.

Ben Fleming
Contributor

Ben joined Golf Monthly having completed his NCTJ in multimedia sports journalism at News Associates, London. He is now a freelance journalist who also works for The Independent, Metro, UEFA and Stats Perform.