Maverick McNealy had everything in his life; he got married to his long-time girlfriend in 2023; he had his family’s support throughout his career; and he also became a pilot to pursue his flying hobby in 2024. But the only thing missing was a PGA Tour title. And McNealy even accomplished that!

The 29-year-old pro won the 2024 RSM Classic after battling through the 4 man playoff, and finally, after 142 starts, McNealy captured his maiden title and cried as the reality settled in. Behind his success was an entire but one man who was carrying his bag. So, who is Maverick McNealy’s caddie, Scout McNealy?

Maverick McNealy’s caddie is his brother

Scout McNealy is the youngest of four McNealy brothers, Maverick, Dakota, and Colt. The younger McNealy was introduced to golf from a very young age, as his father, Scott McNealy, has always been an avid golfer with a handicap of 3.2, one of the best in the executive world. As widely known, the McNealys come from a wealthy family, as their father co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982 and sold it to Oracle for $7.4 billion in 2010. He got married to Susan Ingemanson and named his four sons after 1970s-era American cars.

As for Scout McNealy, he had no interest in the corporate world. But just as his two older brothers, who played golf at Stanford and Maverick is a PGA Tour pro, he wanted to follow their path as well. After graduating from the Harker School in Portola Valley, California, McNealy chose Baylor University in Texas as his college. He was admitted to it in 2019 and was a star player for the Baylor Bears.

McNealy could not win many events during his collegiate career, but he was determined to be better and helped his team in whatever way he could. The university even started the Scout McNealy Award in honor of the youngest McNealy, given to those who excel in every aspect of their college career and life.

He was to be the next pro golfer from the McNealy family, as he once said, “I’ve seen a lot of my friends and brothers play well, and I kind of want to follow in their footsteps and make my own path, and I always want to keep getting better at it.” But then, McNealy’s collegiate career abruptly stopped.

How and why did McNealy hire his brother as the caddie?

As a junior at Baylor University, Scout McNealy received the 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award for his excellent career, and he had planned to do more. But all of a sudden, he injured his shoulder, and his Baylor career ended right there. It was truly heartbreaking that McNealy couldn’t attain the dream he has always had. For the next two years, he recovered from the injury. Sadly, he never turned pro.

In July 2024, Maverick McNealy played the last round of the 3M Open and revealed that he was parting ways with his caddie, Travis McAllister, seven days after they first started playing together. The stars aligned, and the PGA Tour asked his brother to be on the bag through the FedEx Cup playoffs and the entire fall season. But it was still not a permanent job for Scout McNealy.

While they were in Japan for the ZOZO Championship, the older brother told him that if he wanted, he could be his caddie indefinitely. To which Scout McNealy said, “‘I’ll get back to you.'” Maverick McNealy found it rude, but before the World Wide Technology Championship started, Scout McNealy agreed to carry his big indefinitely, and the duo has been together since.

So it seems, although the youngest McNealy did not turn pro, he remained connected to the game of golf and became the reason behind his brother’s success on the PGA Tour.

Maverick McNealy credits Scout for his better game

It took Maverick McNealy more than seven years to be a PGA Tour winner. And to do that with his brother in the bag was more special. Since the two brothers joined hands, McNealy’s performance has been mixed, but he carded four top-20 finishes before the RSM Classic win. He was T6 at the WWT Championship and said, “I think my good play lately has been a lot due to the help he’s given me over the last couple of weeks.” 

Even at the RSM Classic, Scout McNealy’s presence of mind helped his brother capture the title. At the 17th green, his older brother was tense and not that confident that he would make the 10-foot par putt. So, to lighten the mood, Scout McNealy cracked a joke, and that settled his brother as he parred that hole and birdied the next to be the winner.

Scout McNealy will probably be back on the PGA Tour in 2025 and help his brother win more titles and make a name for himself in golf. Aside from being a golfer, Scout McNealy also played hockey as a child but never pursued that sport. He stays off of social media and is more private than his brother. Nonetheless, he knows how to play golf and how to read the greens better than Maverick McNealy!