Maverick McNealy is among the players in contention at the BMW Championship and after playing alongside Keegan Bradley, the Ryder Cup was the obvious topic of conversation among the media.
McNealy is currently 11th in the Ryder Cup rankings for the USA and stands a very realistic chance of making the team.
Of course, a win or a solid finish at the BMW Championship would go a long way to helping him.
However, in a weird twist of fate for McNealy, he’s ended up being paired with Keegan Bradley over the first two rounds, giving him the ideal chance to show off and impress the captain.
Now, speaking about that pressure of being alongside Bradley, McNealy has revealed his thoughts on his potential Ryder Cup spot.
Maverick McNealy speaks on his Ryder Cup hopes after playing with Keegan Bradley
Like a few other Americans such as Cameron Young and Russell Henley, McNealy is bidding to be one of the fresh faces for Team USA come Bethpage.
Naturally, playing alongside the man who will have the call on picking you or not is a big deal in such a big event like the BMW.
And according to McNealy, it was very much something he was aware of.
“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s not my decision to make. I just want to throw my name in the hat as a good option. If my name is called, I want to be playing great and ready to put up some points next month.
It was really fun to play with Keegan these past two days and the first two days in Memphis. I’ve played seven rounds with him this year, which has been a lot of fun, and I feel like I’ve played really well every time I’ve been paired with him,” McNealy said.
“Definitely tried to put my best foot forward and show him my good stuff. A lot of Americans playing good is a great thing for our team, so I hope everyone keeps playing well, and if I’m the guy, I would be pumped to be there.”
Asked specifically about the pressure of playing alongside Bradley, McNealy admitted it was very much at the forefront of his mind.
“Definitely. It’s been on our minds all year. It’s a lot of fun. It adds a little bit of pressure, that’s for sure. But when you’re feeling pressure, you know you’re in the right spot and you know you’re right where you want to be in this game.
“I always say pressure and adrenaline kind of lets you hit some shots that you might not be able to execute otherwise, so I’m excited about where I am.”
Maverick McNealy’s 2025 PGA Tour record
Maverick McNealy is one of the players on the PGA Tour who seems to have sprung from nowhere to be a star in their own right.
Despite having just one win on TOUR in his career, his consistency in 2025 has allowed him to really climb the ranks in those Ryder Cup standings.
| Events played | 22 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top tens | 6 |
| Top 25s | 9 |
| Cuts made | 18 |
Six top tens from 22 events, a runner up spot at the Genesis and top 40 finishes in all four majors mean it’s been a good year for the 29-year-old.
If McNealy is to be part of the US Ryder Cup team, then he might end up being the sort of under the radar player who helps Bradley’s team to the win.
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