Since missing the cut in his first two starts of the FedEx Cup Fall, Maverick McNealy has played high-level golf. He finished T-16 at the Shriners, T-6 at the World Wide Technology and T-17 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Now, he’s 18 holes away from claiming his first PGA Tour win at The RSM Classic.
McNealy signed for a 4-under 66 on Saturday, good enough to earn him a share of the 54-hole lead alongside Vince Whaley — we’ll get to him in a minute.
The former Stanford star made two bogeys on his front nine, but cancelled them out and then some with three birdies to make the turn at 1 under. Over his final nine holes, McNealy poured in three birdies, including this beauty on the par-3 17th.
Maverick McNealy ties the lead with an excellent birdie putt on 17. 💪
📺 Golf Channel | @TheRSMClassic pic.twitter.com/GWawNL9nsi
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) November 23, 2024
McNealy has long been one of the best putters in the world, so to see him at fifth in Strokes Gained: Putting through three rounds isn’t unexpected. But the putter isn’t the only thing clicking for McNealy this week. The 29-year-old is ranked 21st in SG: Off the Tee, fourth in SG: Approach and 22nd in SG: Around the Green.
The 67th-ranked player in the world has finished runner-up twice in his career. We’ll see if he can finally get it over the finish line on Sunday.
If you missed any of Saturday’s action, no worries, we have you covered. Here are some notes from Day 3 at Sea Island Golf Club.
RSM Classic: Leaderboard | Photos
Notes from third round of RSM Classic
Vince Whaley tied for the lead
Vince Whaley of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of The RSM Classic 2024 on the Seaside course at Sea Island Resort on November 23, 2024 in St Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Whaley grabbed a share of fifth at last week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship, and at last year’s RSM, he tied for 13th. So taking into account form and tournament history, it’s not a big surprise to see Whaley at the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes to play.
He shot 67-68 over the first two days, but turned it to another level on Saturday with a 7-under 63.
The 29-year-old from Kentucky made four birdies on the front nine and three more on the back, while keeping squares off the card. In fact, he’s only made three bogeys through 54 holes.
“Yeah, it feels awesome,” Whaley said when asked how it feels to be…
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