Maverick McNealy opens John Deere Classic with 2-under 69
Maverick McNealy is 2-under after the first round
(Golfweek Photo)
SILVIS, IL (July 13, 2017) - Three highly decorated amateurs are in the field this week at the John Deere Classic and through one round
Maverick McNealy is leading the group. McNealy, who will be playing in the Open Championship next week, fired a bogey-free 2-under 69 to begin his week.
Teeing off on the back nine at TPC Deere Run, the recent Stanford grad began his round with 10 straight pars before carding his only two birdies of the day on Nos. 2 and 3.
On the par-5 2nd, McNealy reached the green in two resulting in a two-putt birdie, and then on the ensuing par-3 the second ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings rolled in a 12-footer for birdie.
Joining McNealy in the field this week are Illinois seniors' Dylan Meyer and Nick Hardy.
Meyer, the second ranked player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Rankings, quickly moved into the red with a birdie on the 2nd and then offset two bogeys on the back nine with birdies on the 12th and 13th holes to sign for a 1-under 70.
For Hardy the day was a bit more of an adventure. He came out of the gates firing on all cylinders with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 to open in 2-under and despite a bogey on the 3rd he was able to turn in 2-under 33 following a 7th hole birdie.
However, early on the backside the wheels fell off for a stretch as the Illini senior bogeyed the 10th, double-bogeyed the 13th and then bogeyed the 14th to fall all of the way back to 2-over. Unfazed by the struggles, Hardy ranked 32nd in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Rankings, birdied the final two holes to complete his round in even-par 71.