Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
fullmetal - 03-24-2022
1. This was his first match play event since 2017.
2. As the 64th-seeded player (he only got in when Sam Burns withdrew), his defeat of 14th-seeded Joaquin Niemann (18th world-ranked) is an accomplishment.
3. His brother lives in Austin and plays in an adult hockey league.
Quote:The foundation for his climb began last fall when he started the new season with a runner-up finish at the Fortinet Championship and he’s been impressively consistent with just a single missed cut in a dozen starts.
https://www.golfchannel.com/news/day-1-wgc-dell-technologies-match-play-maverick-mcnealy-becomes-cinderella-story
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
msqueri - 03-24-2022
Hoping he can have a magical week. While it's way too early to start thinking about where he could finish in this tournament, I would love a top four finish as that would put him right around top 50....which if he is in that position the week before the Masters would secure him a spot in Augusta. Highly unlikely at this late stage he can crack top 50, but yesterday's dominance has my mind going there.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
bl82 - 03-24-2022
Mav tees off against Kevin Na at 12:39 today. It's not going to get any easier from here.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
bl82 - 03-24-2022
Na struck first, winning #2, but Mav bounced back and won #3, #5, #6 and #8 to go 3 up through 8. Damn, Mav!
In this four person bracket, Mav and Na both won their first matches, so Mav will be in an extremely strong position (don't know how the tiebreakers work) in this round-robin format if he can hold on today. Joaquin Niemann, who Mav destroyed yesterday, is 3 up on Russell Henley through 9. If these 3 ups both hold on, Mav almost has to win all the tiebreakers even if he loses tomorrow.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
fullmetal - 03-24-2022
Na took #12, and Mav is now 2up through #13.
https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2022/wgc-dell-technologies-match-play/leaderboard.html
For those less familiar with golf, you should read the link in the original post on how Mav sees the PGA tour as three separate circuits. It's an interesting analysis.
Weather's great in Austin, TX. Go Mav!
(edit: Also, with an 8 & 6 win yesterday -- match called at 8up with six holes left to play, both Mav and Joaquin got the most rest compared to anyone else, as that was the most lopsided margin of victory all day.)
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
Phogge - 03-24-2022
Na comes from behind to draw.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
msqueri - 03-25-2022
He halved the match against Kevin Na yesterday. It was a really bad half (bad halve?) as Na had to win two of the last three holes and the last three holes that either won (12, 16, 17) to snatch tie from the jaws of defeat. Let's see if McNealy can bounce back in an on-paper easier match against Russell Henley, who is already eliminated and playing spoiler, though by definition anybody in this tournament is pretty elite. McNealy's scenarios for advancing: are a win and a Na loss or tie; a win or tie coupled by the same result from Na followed by beating Na in a playoff; or a tie and a Niemann win followed by beating Niemann in a playoff.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
DC 86 - 03-25-2022
McNealy 4 up through seven holes today.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
bl82 - 03-25-2022
Mav 5 up through 8. Looking very promising. Na all square through 9.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
M T - 03-25-2022
(03-25-2022, 01:24 PM)bl82 Wrote: Mav 5 up through 8. Looking very promising. Na all square through 9.
Ok, I admit I don't follow golf much. I didn't think in match play you could be 5 up through 8 and then even through 9. What am I missing?
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
msqueri - 03-25-2022
(03-25-2022, 01:34 PM)M T Wrote: (03-25-2022, 01:24 PM)bl82 Wrote: Mav 5 up through 8. Looking very promising. Na all square through 9.
Ok, I admit I don't follow golf much. I didn't think in match play you could be 5 up through 8 and then even through 9. What am I missing?
Na is the name of a golfer in McNealy's bracket. Kevin Na. McNealy was 5 up through 8 in one match, Na was all square through 9 in another match.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
M T - 03-25-2022
(03-25-2022, 01:43 PM)msqueri Wrote: (03-25-2022, 01:34 PM)M T Wrote: (03-25-2022, 01:24 PM)bl82 Wrote: Mav 5 up through 8. Looking very promising. Na all square through 9.
Ok, I admit I don't follow golf much. I didn't think in match play you could be 5 up through 8 and then even through 9. What am I missing?
Na is the name of a golfer in McNealy's bracket. Kevin Na. McNealy was 5 up through 8 in one match, Na was all square through 9 in another match.
Blush! I thought it was a typo for "Now".
Reminds me of a natural language processing program in the early 90s. It was demoed at a company with their database of employees, but it failed miserably. Turned out they had an employee with a last name of "The".
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
fullmetal - 03-25-2022
Mav takes his match at 2&1.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
msqueri - 03-25-2022
(03-25-2022, 03:12 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Mav takes his match at 2&1.
But unfortunately so did Na, and they're now in a playoff. After the tee shot things looking very dicey for our guy.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
fullmetal - 03-25-2022
Mav loses the one-hole knockout round, 4-3 to Kevin Na. Alas.
RE: Mav McNealy impresses in Day 1 of World Golf Champs -
Phogge - 03-26-2022
Gotta love Na who has a style unique to the Tour. Hovland, Zalatoris, Niemann, have outstanding games but pretty boring in a cookie cutter sense. Scheffler is a big, somewhat rumpled who has a big game and displays a grin on the course.
I'm rooting for Na.