Follow the long road to Maverick McNealy’s first PGA Tour victory

When Maverick McNealy stuck a 6-iron from 183 yards on the par-4 18th hole at Sea Island’s Seaside Course to set up a 5-foot, 5-inch putt for his first victory at the 2024 RSM Classic, he admitted he was on autopilot.

“My mind’s gone blank honestly. It was an unbelievable adrenaline rush there, especially on 18,” McNealy said minutes after winning his first PGA Tour title. “It was a moment I will never forget getting to celebrate with my friends, my family, my wife, my team.”

The road to McNealy’s first winner’s circle was a long and winding one, fitting for a young man who was named for an extinct 1970s Ford. At one point, the Stanford product considered passing on a potential professional golf career, even though he’d found rousing success as an amateur, including a stretch where he topped the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

But instead, McNealy maintained his relationship with the game, and even though he struggled to breakthrough and earn his first victory, he has continued to climb in the Official World Golf Ranking, building a crescendo to what was his finest symphony on St. Simons Island.

Here’s a look at some of McNealy’s many career highlights, as told via Golfweek through the years: