SHRINERS CHILDREN'S OPEN

October 15, 2024

Maverick McNealy

TPC Summerlin

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, we'd like to welcome Maverick McNealy to the interview room here at the 2024 Shriners Children's Open. Mav, making your sixth appearance in this event, first time since 2022. How special is it being a Las Vegas resident to be back here playing in this event?

MAVERICK McNEALY: Absolutely. You know, it's, one, special to be able to play a golf tournament and sleep in my own bed. This is a golf course, basically my home course. I play here five, six days a week. Every time you tee it up here you're kind of thinking about the tournament and looking forward to. The course is great. Weather is usually great.

It's definitely one of my favorite weeks of the year.

Q. You finished top 10 in your last start here in 2022. What were some of the highlights from that week, things that stick out about your performance?

MAVERICK McNEALY: I remember at that point I wasn't hitting it great, but I putted awesome. It was the first year after the re-grassing. Actually made it a point to tee off first on the back nine on Monday so I could take the first few divots on the back nine, which was fun. I actually birdied the first two holes in my practice round, so that was kind of cool.

Q. And then entering the week you're 56th in the FedExCup fall standings. What are your overall thoughts on the outlook for the rest of the fall and the opportunity to gain some additional Signature Event starts in 2025?

MAVERICK McNEALY: Yeah, the start of the season is so important. If you get off to a good start and high on the points list it matters so much. Getting the first few Signature Events at AT&T and Genesis would be massive. They're two poana events that I play really well at. I've top 10'd at both of them.

I think if I do get in those two, I would probably play six out of the first seven tournaments. Again, if you get high on the FedExCup list early it gives you a huge leg up on the rest of the year. That kind of starts here with me playing the next five out of six weeks trying to solidify a spot in the top 60.

Q. We talked in Memphis and you had said a number that you thought you needed, and I think you just about it had it or did hit it. You were really proud of yourself. You had a lot of time to reflect on that, the fact that you came through under pretty big pressure and everything. Just what you learned from it and kind of what your thoughts are now that we've had a little bit of time to kind of think about it.

MAVERICK McNEALY: Memphis was a lot of fun. It was my second week with my brother, Scout on the bag, too. He helped me a ton in one of the more pressure-packed weeks of the year.

You know, I came up one shot short of the number I thought I needed on Sunday. Thought I needed 7-under and ended up shooting 6, and because of that I'll probably play a couple more tournaments this fall than I would've otherwise.

That being said, my game is good and I love a bunch of the fall tournaments and want to play them. I don't know what else I would be doing with my time. I love competing.

I definitely take a lot of confidence from finishing 12th in that field and really not feeling I got much going early in the week. But definitely want to get going here.

I've played four competitive rounds in the last two months now since Memphis, so I want to get some good momentum going the next month and a half here.

Q. Where is your game compared to where it was in Memphis? Are you pretty much right back where you were? A little rusty?

MAVERICK McNEALY: I've worked really hard the last two months. I know this is a really important fall. Like I said, this is a time where I'm pouring everything I have into my golf game. I have no other distractions.

I got married a year ago and my wife takes a ton off my plate at home, too.

It's really been full steam ahead as far as golf goes. I think I've maybe taken two days off since Memphis. Yeah, just worked really, really hard and my game feels really good.

Q. There is some great games, TOUR players around here, here, the Summit, Southern Highlands, you name it, you guys play. How does that help you prepare for competition and what are some of those games like?

MAVERICK McNEALY: It's awesome. It's one of my favorite things about living here. I talked one of my best friends, Joseph Bramlett, into moving to Vegas. We have a ton of games.

I would say when I'm at tournament I'm trying to -- my practice time is geared towards calibration because you get plenty of competition, and then when you're at home you got to search out ways to stay competitively sharp because there is plenty of time to work on stuff and recalibrate.

So having so many guys around here from the Korn Ferry TOUR all the way through top PGA TOUR guys is a lot of the fun. It's really easy to find a game. I think Joseph, Doug, and I always live within five minutes of each other. Played a bunch with Harry Hall, Taylor Montgomery.

Yeah, there are guys all over -- Isaiah Salinda lives out here now. Former Stanford teammate of mine; going to have his PGA TOUR card next year. Great contingent of guys to stay sharp with.

Q. So we can look at the stats in the FedExCup and see who is highest ranked and all that and who's the best so to speak, but who's the best playing for a little action?

MAVERICK McNEALY: I love playing Isaiah because he talks a lot of trash and I really want to beat him. His money spends better than everyone else's.

Q. What's the approach this week being at home and staying in your process and focused on the task at hand, but knowing you are around family and that comfortable environment?

MAVERICK McNEALY: Yeah, it's been a fun week. I've had my whole team staying with me. Every room is full in our house. It's been great. It's like a Team Mav home base this week. Scout will be here. Tons of friends and family coming out to watch, which is always fun. It's always one of my favorite things.

One of my biggest regrets from college is that our home tournament was always during spring break so none of my college friends were able to watch me play and compete. When I have a bunch of friends and family in town, to have them out to watch and show them what I spend every waking hour of my life trying to improve is pretty fun.

Just get let it happen them in on my world for one week a year and try to show off a little bit of what I love to do.