Maverick McNealy Facts: 18 Things You Didn't Know About The American Golfer

Maverick McNealy is an American pro with a fascinating background and career through the game so far. Discover more about his life and time as a pro via these facts.

MAVERICK MCNEALY FACTS

1. His full name is Maverick Scott McNealy.

2. McNealy was born in California on November 7, 1995.

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 September 2015, McNealy became World Amateur No.1, replacing Arizona State University's Jon Rahm. McNealy went on to be World Amateur No.1 once again during late 2016 and early 2017.

10. During college, he won the Haskins Award (2015), the Mark H. McCormack medal (2016) and the Ben Hogan Award (2017). The first and last awards recognize the top collegiate player in the US while the middle prize marks the leading amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after the final elite event of the season.

11. 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.

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

13. McNealy is married to his partner Maya Daniels. They live in Las Vegas. He previously dated LPGA Tour star Danielle Kang.

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. Having earned his pilot's license in 2023, McNealy flew himself to the 2025 Genesis Invitational in a Cirrus SR22 single-engine propeller plane. He went on to finish second, one stroke behind champion, Ludvig Aberg.

16. Following his third runner-up finish on the PGA Tour (Genesis Invitational), McNealy rose to World No.13 in February 2025.

17. McNealy claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the 2024 RSM Classic, beating three players by a single stroke after making birdie on the 72nd hole.

18. McNealy has always been known as one of the best putters on the PGA Tour. In 2022-2023, he ranked first for Strokes Gained: Putting while he has ranked inside the top-30 in all but one of his full seasons on the PGA Tour.

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