Nine Birdies in Final Round At Genesis Invitational Not Enough

The final round at Genesis Invitational ended in an electric finish, as Ludvig Aberg hit three birdies in a row to sneak past with a one shot victory over Maverick McNealy. Finding himself three shots behind first place, Aberg finished it off with a smooth 7-foot shot. Yet, McNealy had himself one of the strongest finishes in the round to secure himself a second place finish. Able to bring home a payout of $2.2 million, the future is extremely bright this season for McNealy. 

Final Round at Genesis Invitational 

Round four at the Genesis Invitational, set the stage for a top Tour athlete to take home a deserving payday. McNealy was able to secure a portion of the $20 million dollar purse, with a strong thanks to his success at birdie. His longest streak of the day came in holes two through six, going for birdie in every one. Leading all others in competition on the day with nine, the closest being seen in the comeback victory by Aberg with eight birdies. 

Holes 14 through 18, seemed to be the deciding factor in the inability to secure what would have been his second career victory. Starting the run off with a bogey only slowed his once hot streak down. According to reports, McNealy has appeared in six events with a total of three top 25 finishes and this most recent runner up spot. Therefore, a considerable strong start to the 2025 season having made every cut thus far and coming up just short Sunday evening. 

What’s Next For Maverick McNealy?

Taking home the second place finish, now places McNealy in seventh place within the FedExCup Standings. With a total of 664 points, he is making a strong run at the top spots. As a California kid himself with college experience at Stanford University, this was an experience worthwhile according to reports. 

“I played really well in California with a lot of great finishes here, yet to win in California but a couple runner-ups,” McNealy said. 

As the season continues, the competition will continue to be difficult as seen in the final round. Next steps for McNealy will be continuing the work in his accuracy department. In particular taking a closer look into his recently seen strong suit in ability to hit on birdies, bettering his ranking in the Tour. Currently sitting at 13th place in Birdie Average, it can be a benefit to zero in and up his percentage. His next appearance can be expected to be seen at the Mexico Open, with a powerful field list ahead of him.