Maverick McNealy embraces his spouse Maya Daniels following his victory on the 2024 RSM Traditional.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures
PGA Tour veteran Maverick McNealy lastly pulled off his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday on the 2024 RSM Traditional, and it was a household affair for the 29-year-old.
After snapping his 140-start win drought with a clutch birdie on the 18th gap on Sea Island’s Seaside Course, McNealy embraced his spouse, Maya Daniels, on the inexperienced and each had been overcome with emotion.
Instantly after that, Maya had a pre-planned job to perform: get McNealy’s dad and mom on the cellphone ASAP.
“Mother and Dad, they’re watching at residence, they’re all excited. They had been my first cellphone name,” McNealy mentioned after his spherical. “Maya knew her job, if it went nicely as we speak, to get them on the cellphone as quickly as doable strolling off 18. I’m the luckiest man ever.”
Maya got here by way of within the clutch, connecting the 2 dad and mom who had been “basically disbelief” to their son who within the largest second of his seven-year profession.
The decision didn’t get far, although, with McNealy admitting that the primary matter of dialog was his emotional mom.
“We had been principally simply making enjoyable of Mother as a result of she was crying,” McNealy joked.
However even with Maya, mother and pop sharing the second with him, McNealy was lacking one key member of the family, one who could also be his largest fan of all: his grandmother.
When a reporter mentioned he’d heard McNealy’s grandma was too nervous to look at his closing putt, the professional shared that whereas he hadn’t talked to her but, she has been a fixture of his success all through his profession. He then revealed a long-standing custom: Each time McNealy has an enormous payday, he sends his grandma flowers. And the higher his finishes get, the higher the items for grandma turn out to be.
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“I had a deal since my days on the Korn Ferry Tour the place if I make $50,000 in a given week, I needed to ship her flowers,” McNealy mentioned. “She doesn’t appear to thoughts that that occurs much more with PGA Tour purses than on the Korn Ferry Tour. It’s sort of her bragging rights across the retirement residence. Then top-10s she will get candies as nicely.”
McNealy caught to topic, explaining simply how essential his golf profession is to his grandmother:
“She’s my largest fan. You already know, I do know that her watching my golf in numerous methods retains her going, provides her one thing to sit up for to the purpose the place she gained’t let individuals speak to her when she’s watching me play. It’s fairly particular.”
However the newly-minted PGA Tour winner additionally revealed that he is aware of he has to maintain up with the items, as a result of when he doesn’t, dangerous issues begin taking place in his life.
“My grandma’s a witch,” he mentioned, jokingly. “If I overlook to ship her flowers, bizarre issues occur. Meals poisoning, golf equipment snap, balls crack, it’s the weirdest stuff ever, so I’ve obtained to remain on that.”
With that revelation, McNealy appeared to appreciate that his RSM Traditional win, by far the most important success of his profession up to now, would require extra items to grandma than traditional, not less than to ward of any potential adverse penalties subsequent season.
“I ought to most likely get her one thing slightly further particular,” he mentioned.
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