Ex-Stanford golfer McNealy graduates to big time.
Maverick McNealy is digging his job. Friday dawned sunny and crisp in Napa, another ideal October day for golf. The weather warmed up as McNealy made his way around Silverado Resort’s North Course, managing his misses and steadily climbing into contention.
Then, when he rolled home a birdie putt on No. 5 (his 14th hole), McNealy suddenly shared the lead at the Safeway Open. At age 21, in his professional debut, the kid who grew up in Portola Valley and blossomed into a big-time player at Stanford saw his name atop a PGA Tour leaderboard.
“That was a first,” McNealy said later. “Pretty cool.”
His piece of the lead soon slipped away, because golf is relentlessly fickle. McNealy made triple-bogey on his next-to-last hole and ultimately shot 71. He will head into the weekend at 5-under-par, tied for 23rd and eight strokes off the lead.
This is only one tournament, the first of many for McNealy, but his long-term success would send several important messages. Namely, it’s cool to stay in school. It’s fine to play multiple sports as a kid (McNealy preferred hockey when he was younger). And, yes, it’s still possible for the Bay Area to produce an elite tour pro.
McNealy’s swing coach, Alex Murray, made the first point — emphatically — after Friday’s round.
“It’s disappointing to see so many young players turn pro so soon,” Murray said. “I totally understand why they do it: The opportunities are there, and sometimes the necessity is there.
“But I do wish colleges took more pride in recruiting people who are going to graduate, rather than taking a potential education away from somebody who would love that spot for four years.”
McNealy clearly had some advantages. His dad, Scott McNealy, co-founded Sun Microsystems, so Maverick didn’t need to turn pro for financial reasons. He could afford to stay at Stanford to earn his degree and sharpen his game.
Still, it was tempting to turn pro after a breakout season as a sophomore, when he won six events and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top player. Tiger Woods turned pro after two years at Stanford. Patrick Rodgers bolted after three.
McNealy stuck to his plan and hung around all four years. He’s more prepared for the pro game because of this uncommon patience, as he’s showing this week in Napa.
“And he’s more sure,” Murray said. “A year ago, he wasn’t 100 percent sure (golf ) was what he wanted to do. If he tried to do this a year ago, and that was still the case, he’d get eaten alive out here. These guys are so good.
“He needed to spend a year around some of the guys, to see how good they were. We’ve had to work hard, and we still are working hard to raise some parts of his game to certain levels. We’re still a long way off.”
McNealy parlayed his abundant success in college to eight PGA Tour starts as an amateur. He didn’t fare especially well — his best finish was a tie for 44th, despite making the cut five times — but he now views those starts as an internship for his impending career.
That’s one reason McNealy could become the best PGA Tour player from the Bay Area in, well, a long damn time. The region once produced an assembly line of major champions, headlined by Johnny Miller and Ken Venturi, but the past 40 years mostly have been barren.
McNealy is aware of the area’s rich golf history, which includes the women’s game ( Juli Inkster, Paula Creamer, etc.). He grew up playing at Sharon Heights and Stanford, learning how to navigate tight, tree-lined courses with small greens.
“I think the Bay Area is a great place to develop and learn as a golfer,” McNealy said.
One thing he learned during his earlier tour starts as an amateur: Stay in rhythm after a sloppy hole. He recalled the PGA Tour event in Reno in August, when he found himself rushing after one bad hole. More bad holes soon followed.
On Friday, McNealy made a mess on No. 8, his 17th hole. His tee shot came to rest on a tree root; he took an unplayable lie and punched his next shot wildly to the right; and before long he was tapping in for triple bogey.
Then, in sharp contrast to what happened in Reno two months ago, McNealy bounced back with a birdie on his final hole. So he enters Saturday’s third round with a chance to contend, a position he knows well from his college days.
He’s a pro now, and he appreciates the gig.
“This is the coolest office in the world,” he said.