Maverick McNealy Heads to U.S. Four-Ball Fresh Off Record Pac-12 Performance
April 30, 2015
Portola Valley resident Maverick McNealy will head into the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Olympic Club with some serious steam behind him.
On Wednesday, the Stanford sophomore and former Junior Tour of Northern California member fired a bogey-free, 9-under 61 at the Pac-12 Championship to earn medalist honors and help the Cardinal capture their second straight conference title.
Just how clutch was McNealy’s 61? Stanford had started the final round, which featured winds over 20 mph, nine shots behind third round leader Arizona State.
McNealy’s other feats included:
- Setting a course record at championship host Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Wa.
- Setting a record for the lowest 72-hole score in the Pac-12 Championship (18-under 262).
- Matching Stanford’s 18-hole scoring record, previously achieved by Tiger Woods in 1996 and Cameron Wilson in 2012.
The performance more than likely also moved McNealy closer to being Player of the Year. It was his fifth individual title, the most among Division I players, and his eighth Top-10 in 11 starts.
On Saturday, McNealy will begin play at the Olympic Club with his Four-Ball partner, Cardinal teammate Virhat Badhwar, who finished T-26 at the Pac-12 Championship.
Badhwar, born in India and raised in Australia, has a pair of Top-10 finishes this season.
–Jerry Stewart
