Maverick McNealy discusses how his putting has carried him through the BMW Championship, despite inconsistencies in ball striking. With his TOUR Championship debut in sight, he reflects on pressure, Ryder Cup aspirations, and staying process-focused with the support of his team. Confident, grounded, and aiming to peak at just the right time.
Well, what’s up? May I have a nice round? Uh, what’s been working well over the first few days? Uh, really putted well. Uh, that’s been the the star of my bag. Um, definitely hit it a little bit better today than I did yesterday, but uh, I’ve been been riding that flat stick all week. Solid run as of late, but maybe not. But high high finishes, maybe what has been keeping you from having a couple of those, you know, throughout the last couple months? Um, I would say my hitting has been inconsistent. I’ve had stretches where I’ve hit it awesome and stretches where I just kind of lost the feel. So, uh really getting back to basics and kind of the fundamentals of things that have uh led me to improve my ball striking all year long. But, uh the bright spot for me has been the putter over the last month or so has really uh started to come around and uh it’s it’s the best part of my game and when it’s uh it’s going it’s it’s really good sign. Help that you’ve got a little cushion in your pedestal that you feel like you can work on those things this late in the year and not feel like you have to chase. AB: Absolutely. Uh my brother Scout and I were talking uh last week about how much less of a pressure cooker it was to be there. Um knowing that I’m all the way through to to the tour championship and really the goal is to to peak next week. I want to play great this week and and uh but next week is is the tournament we all want to win. And uh we all have a chance starting at zero and it’s going to be a great competition. But uh seen some really good things. I definitely have a few things to iron out with my golf swing, but uh really excited about how the putting is feeling. first time at the Tour Championship right next week. Does that feel kind of just like most consistent year getting there, doing it without a win is always impressive. Yeah, I’m I’m so excited. Uh from rookie orientation, that’s been to me the mark of having a great season and uh the mark of of being one of the best players on the PGA Tour and so excited to to say that I’ve earned a spot there and uh to go play. I mean, I’ve I’ve never been to that golf course, never been there before, but uh it’s been circled on my calendar for a long time, and I’m really excited to get there. Outside of that, outside the store championship, what what are you most proud of about this season? You talked about you’ve been so consistent all year. Um, you know, I just I think I owe a lot to my team for uh you guiding me in the right direction. I I’ve worked extremely hard this year, but the hardest thing in golf isn’t putting in the work. It’s knowing what to work on. So, uh, I think I owe a lot of credit to my team for, um, you know, guiding me the right way so that the the practice balls that I am putting in are moving me the right way. The time spent in the gym is is moving me towards my goals. And, uh, I’ve just been enjoying the good results on the golf course. So, it’s been a lot of fun. Is I mean, softer conditions after the rain yesterday, but does 14 under look as impressive to you as it does to people just watching? 14. I I remember checking that number when I got back uh to the hotel yesterday and like, wow, six in a row on the back nine. That’s that’s real golf. And that’s that said though, you hit a bunch of greens and that putter gets hot. Um, low scores are out there. I mean, the hole’s the same size for everybody every day. So, um, definitely going to need his putter to cool off if we want any hope of catching them. But, um, I said I kind of rode my putter to a 600 round today and, uh, if I just hit it a little bit tighter tomorrow and, uh, and keep putting well, it’ be a lot of fun. I think you’re 11th right now in the RDER Cup points list. just where do you feel like you are in terms of trying to make that team and what you might need to do? Uh honestly, I don’t know. Um it’s not my decision to make. I just uh I just want to throw my name in a hat as a good option and uh if my name is called, I want to be playing great and ready to put up some points next month. So, uh it was really fun to play with Keegan these past two days and the first two days in Memphis. I’ve played seven rounds with him this year, which has been a lot of fun and feel like I’ve played really well every time I’ve been paired with him. So, uh, definitely try to put my best foot forward and and show them my good stuff and, um, you know, a lot of lot of Americans playing good is a great thing for our team. So, I hope everyone keeps playing well and if I’m the guy, I would be pumped to be there. I have to imagine it’s hard not to think about it when you’re paired with them that much. Oh, definitely. It’s been on our minds all year and uh, it’s a lot of fun. It adds a little bit of pressure, that’s for sure. But, uh, when you’re feeling pressure, you know you’re in the right spot and you know uh, you’re right where you want to be in this game. So, um, you know, I always say pressure and adrenaline kind of lets you hit some shots that you might not be able to execute otherwise. So, I I’m I’m excited about where I am. Thanks, man. Yeah. Thank you, guys. Thank you.
