Golf plays an important part of alumnus Maverick McNealy’s life at Stanford where he puts in around forty hours of golf per week and frequently travels to various tournaments. Maverick was recruited during his senior year to join Stanford’s golf team. In a phone interview, Maverick spoke to Harker Aquila about his experience playing golf in college.

Harker Aquila: When did you start playing golf?

Maverick McNealy: I don’t really remember when. I don’t really remember not playing golf, let’s put it that way.

HA: What influenced you to start playing this sport?

MM: I’d say my dad. He played and got all of us, me and my three brothers started really early and we loved it. We’d just go out and play on weekends whenever we had free time, so he’d probably be my biggest influence.

HA: Can you describe your favorite thing about playing golf?

MM: Well, I mean winning is always fun, [a] great feeling, but my favorite things about golf are that no two shots are ever the same, so it’s always different. You’re always training yourself to be better at managing unpredictability. Another favorite thing about golf is that you can always get better and you can always improve. There’s always room for improvement, always something you can do a little better, and I always enjoy improving and seeing resorts pay off.

HA: What was the most eventful tournament you have played?

MM: Well, probably everything this last spring. We played in Palm Springs and I was tied for second after two rounds and then played and finished 20th and then in the home tournament at Stanford, I finished 4th. The one I finished in Santa Cruz, I finished 6th and in the Pac12 I finished 9th and our team won the Pac12 for the first time in twenty years. It’s been an upward trend this spring and so I’d say the  most eventful tournament would be the Pac12 because this Sunday we won the the Pac12 Championship, my favorite day on campus and the best moment on campus since starting school. Our team hadn’t won in twenty years and we ended up winning by like fifteen strokes which was a big win for us.

HA: What’s your favorite club to use?

MM: I like to say all of them. My view is if you are confident in every club, you’re going to hit them all well. Playing ice hockey has really helped me and I can hit it pretty far because of that, so I’d say my driver.

HA: How did you feel playing your first tournament at Stanford?

MM: It was so much fun. I still remember the first shot like it was yesterday. It was in Wisconsin and it was at this course called Erin Hills where they are going to have the US Open in a couple of years. I was so nervous when I was going to hit it. We ended up winning the tournament and was our first win of the year, so it was a great memory.

HA: Playing a sport in college is time-consuming, how do you manage your time with academics?

MM: It’s a bit of a trick sometimes. I play about forty hours a week of golf. My typical day is I wake up at six, work out until eight with the team, and then have breakfast, and then go to class from nine to twelve, have lunch, practice from one to about six or seven, have dinner, do homework, and go to bed. You don’t have a whole lot of time for other things, but if you prioritize school and your sport, and are really proactive about knowing when you’re going to travel and what classes you’re going to miss, it works out just fine. It’s not easy, but it’s manageable.

HA: How is playing golf different at high school than college?

MM: It’s really different. The quality of players in college is really, really good. Since it’s division one, you are playing against the best players in the world. You also get to play at really, really cool courses and the athletic facilities here at Stanford are off the charts. It’s unbelievable. I owe a lot to high school golf for getting me here. It really started focusing and playing well, and really helping me college golf a goal. I’ve developed so much as a player just because the coaching staff here at Stanford, the facilities, and the competition we play against is so good.

HA: Do you plan on playing golf as a career after college?

MM: At the moment, I don’t, but I have four years to figure that out. If I start playing really, really well and it looks like golf can give me a successful career, I might consider it. At this moment, I want to get a really good education. I want to do something that not a lot of people have the opportunity to do, get a Stanford education.