I’m a pro golfer with £7m in career earnings but I also have a pilot’s licence and am heir to a billion-dollar fortune
WITH a name like Maverick McNealy, you have got to stand out from the crowd.
And the American golfer is certainly doing that – especially away from the course.
Born in 1995, McNealy was a world No1-ranked amateur and college star who equalled the 18-hole Stanford record of 61 previously set by Cameron Wilson and Tiger Woods.
He then turned pro in 2017 and later earned his PGA Tour card to compete against the very best golfers in the world.
While he is still waiting for his maiden tournament win, he has already racked up £7million in prize money.
That is thanks to his impressive results, including two runner-up finishes plus T9 at March’s The Players Championship at the iconic TPC Sawgrass.
The 6ft 1in Californian hit a career-high ranking of 57th in the world in January 2023 and will be desperate to continue to work his way up.
McNealy even tapped into the knowledge he gained from his management science and engineering degree to team up with Callaway.
They worked together to design his very own custom irons including the rarely-seen 10-iron and 11-iron.
However, there is plenty more to McNealy’s life than simply ball flights.
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Because when he is not driving off the tee, the Stanford-born star can often be spotted driving planes for aeroplane flights.
McNealy may be living in Las Vegas but certainly refuses to gamble with safety as he is now a qualified pilot.
He took to Instagram in May 2023 to announce he had secured the qualification to get his flying licence aged 27.
The ace – who played more ice hockey than golf growing up until leaving high school – wrote: “I’m a pilot!!
“Still processing it all, but without a doubt one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life.
“Luke and Jake, thank you for all you’ve taught me on the ground and in the air – I know it’ll be a lifetime of learning.”
And Top Gun Maverick showed his incredible talent in the cockpit with some filming for the PGA Tour in October.
The passion for transport is a family affair, though, because McNealy’s grandfather worked in the auto industry.
And that explains why Maverick and his three fellow golfing brothers are all named after famous American cars – Ford Maverick, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Colt, Jeep Scout.
Their father Scott, meanwhile, is a high-profile businessman who in 1982 co-founded tech company Sun Microsystems which was sold to Oracle for a whopping £5.8billion in 2010.
So Maverick and his brothers are all heirs to their dad’s fortune and therefore set to become billionaires, making the oldest sibling probably the richest golfer in the world.
Not that he gets a free pass from his mega-rich dad.
McNealy said: “My brothers and I never got an allowance, and we were told that once we graduated from college, we’d have one summer to find a job and then we’d be on our own.
“My dad would’ve made me pay rent to live at home after school – I’m not kidding!
“My dad often tells me the most well-funded start-ups always fail, and that a short cash runway lights a fire under your rear that’s hard to emulate.
“I don’t judge my success in golf by how much money I’ve made; I judge it by my effort and commitment.”
Dad Scott also set up the free online education service Curriki in 2004 – with generous son Maverick and his sponsors each donating $20 for every birdie he scores to the non-profit organisation.
For a while, the golfer had even planned to follow in his dad’s footsteps into the world of business rather than pursuing a career in professional sport – but realised his superb golf talent could not go to waste.
Sticking with family, Maverick may well be hoping to start one of his own later down the line after marrying wife Maya.
The couple tied the knot in a beautiful low-key ceremony in December 2023.
It comes after Maverick previously dated fellow pro golfer Danielle Kang but the romance ended after two years.