Maverick McNealy Hot Start Not Enough as 'Darn Good' Ludvig Aberg Steals Genesis

The final round at Genesis Invitational on Sunday showcased not only one but two RSM Classic winners shining on the greens. Unfortunately, one had to leave disappointed, and that was Maverick McNealy.

The reason is pretty evident. Ludvig Aberg snatched the $4 million prize from McNealy by a single stroke. That came as McNealy came out white hot, birdieing eight of his first 11 holes to build a three-shot lead on the back nine.

Yet, Aberg chased him down for his second PGA Tour win.

During the post-round press conference, McNealy expressed how he wished he could go back to the 17th hole, where he attempted to repeat his birdie magic from Friday. Unfortunately, as he put it, " it ended up in an unlucky spot, but that's golf."

The Genesis runner-up elaborated, "I basically just aimed at the bunkers and hit it hard. I pull it a little bit, it's fairway. If I push it a little bit, it's in the matted-down rough."

McNealy continued, "It hit one of those poles, the rope line poles, and kicked left into the side of the bunker. I'm glad it didn't hit anybody, but it's not really where I wanted it to end up."

Having grown up admiring Tiger Woods, the 29-year-old McNealy undoubtedly had high hopes of winning Woods' event. However, Ludvig Aberg had other plans. Aberg fired an impressive 8 birdies, including a remarkable putt at the 18th hole that eerily resembled Tiger Woods's iconic 2008 US Open performance.

Aberg's win was all the more impressive, considering he had been struggling with what he assumes to be "food poisoning" that affected his mental strength in all the good ways. Interestingly it was also praised by McNealy who sent a four-word message to the Swedish golfer.

"Pretty darn good golfer, " the Genesis runner-up said when asked about his win at one of the most challenging courses, Torrey Pines.

"He got off to a great start here obviously during the Farmers. Honestly, two very different golf courses. I don't know if there's any conclusion you can draw there other than the fact that he's a pretty darn good golfer."

Despite suffering a narrow loss, McNealy's praise for Aberg's skills demonstrated his graciousness in defeat. What are your thoughts on Maverick McNealy's response? Let us know in the comment section.

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