'Stop being dramatic' How wife's pep talk helped Mav McNealy win first PGA Tour title

Maverick McNealy has paid tribute to his wife Maya for cutting him out of being dramatic and into a PGA Tour winner. 

McNealy, 29, fired a dart down the pin on 18 from 186 yards to five feet before sinking the birdie putt to seal a one-shot victory at the RSM Classic on Sunday night in Georgia.

The win came in his 134th start as a pro during a week that also saw him make his 100th cut on the PGA Tour. 

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After the tournament, McNealy began piling praise on his caddie and brother Scout along with the rest of his family and team around him.

But he paid particular credit to the love and support of his wife Maya, who travelled around the PGA Tour with him for the first time in 2024. 

"I played more golf than I have just about any other year and I had way more fun because Maya was able to put her life on hold and travel with me all year," said McNealy of his wife Maya, who he married in December 2023.

"It made five-week stretches ending with a top six in Phoenix this year was one of those key moments where usually I'd be counting down days until I got to go home and instead had a great week to finish there. 

"We did five out of the last six, three of which were international, and we were having such a fun week here."

McNealy then alluded to a recent conversation he had with Maya where she cut him out of a dramatic mood when he contemplated about not having yet won on the PGA Tour. 

"I thought it could have happened my rookie year [2019], but I also thought it might take 10, 15 years, I don't know," said McNealy.

"Maya was chatting with me when I was maybe a little bit -- being a little bit dramatic but a little bit frustrated. 

"She said, well, if you knew you were going to win like in six weeks, would you do anything different? 

"I said, well, probably not. 

"So six weeks I did get my win."

Who is Maverick McNealy's wife?

McNealy is married to wife Maya.

They got married in December 2023. 

It is understood Maverick met Maya Daniels when he was going through physical therapy for his injured shoulder.

McNealy tore his left anterior sterno-clavicular in February 2023, an injury that sidelined him from PGA Tour action for about six months. 

Maverick is not just a talented PGA Tour pro, but he also has a pilot's license.

"He is watching airplane videos any time he doesn’t have a golf club in his hand," said Maya.

"I don’t know how he has the time or the mental patience to get better at both things consistently… but he’s one of the most determined people I know."

Before meeting Maya, McNealy was in a relationship with LPGA pro Danielle Kang but that ended in 2021.

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