ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Maverick McNealy guessed that in his mind he had made a putt to win a PGA Tour over a thousand times. On Sunday, the 29-year-old stuffed 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.
“It felt like déjà vu and it came off perfectly,” he said.
His younger brother, Scout, screamed in jubilation after the winning putt dropped: “We’re going to Maui, baby!”
That would be the site of the 2025 Sentry, the first tournament of the new season in January that is a reward for winners. Maverick replied, “Yeah, we’re going to Augusta, too.”
Indeed, McNealy’s maiden victory comes with an invitation the Masters in April, too. McNealy had numerous birdie opportunities down the stretch during the final round, but he made the one that counted the most.
RSM: Leaderboard | Photos
The birdie propelled McNealy to a final-round 2-under 68 and a 72-hole aggregate of 16-under 266, topping Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria and amateur Luke Clanton by a shot. Berger was in the final group with McNealy and missed a 21-foot birdie attempt, but he moved inside the FedEx Cup top 125 with his runner-up finish at the RSM. (Joel Dahmen closed with a bogey-free 64 to finish No. 124 and Sam Ryder, who missed the 36-hole cut, hung on to No. 125 and the final fully-exempt card for 2025.)
Both Echavarria and Clanton missed par putts on the final hole to drop to 15 under, waiting to see what the final two groups did down the stretch.
McNealy was the first to reach 16 under in the final round but he made a bogey at 14 and his trusty putter started to let him down. “I was definitely leaking oil, that’s for sure,” he said.
Maverick McNealy and his caddie Scout McNealy pose with the trophy after winning The RSM Classic 2024 at Sea Island Resort in St Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
He credited his brother, who began caddying for him in August, with breaking the tension on the 17th green, making a joke that had him doubled over in laughter.
“Busting a gut, I didn’t think that was possible at the time,” McNealy said.
Tied for the lead at the 18th hole, which played as the statistically most difficult hole of the day, he said he told himself, “Let’s hit two great golf shots and I can have the best off-season of my life.”
McNealy was the Haskins Award winner as the top male collegian and was the…
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