PGA Tour's billionaire heir tops up net worth in six-figure Memorial Tournament boost

Golf star has added a substantial £592,000 ($800,000) to his billionaire net worth after a stellar performance at the Memorial Tournament. The golfer had to battle for his share of the whopping £14.8million ($20m) prize fund. Despite being three over at the halfway point, he rallied to finish two under, securing a tie for fifth place and outperforming big names such as Jordan Spieth, and Rickie Fowler.

However, the significant sum will likely be seen as small change for McNealy, who is set to inherit a multi-billion-dollar fortune. The 29-year-old is the son of Scott McNealy, co-founder of tech behemoth Sun Microsystems, which was sold for an eye-watering £5.4bn ($7.4bn) in 2010. This impending windfall often sees McNealy touted as the second wealthiest golfer globally, trailing only behind - whose net worth is reportedly a staggering £962m ($1.3bn).

Other golfing greats such as Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Jack Nicklaus are believed to lag behind McNealy in terms of wealth. Despite frequently being ranked among the richest in golf, his personal fortune is said to be considerably less than the sport's icons however.

While he stands to inherit his father's billions alongside siblings Scout, Dakota and Colt, he hasn't yet received the money. Since securing his PGA Tour Card for the 2019/2020 season, he has reportedly raked in around £9.6m ($13m), which is no small sum indeed.

His bank balance received a further boost when he clinched his first PGA Tour event, the RSM Classic, in November 2024. McNealy was also on the brink of claiming his second victory at The Genesis Invitational in February, and its £2.9m ($4m) prize, however, despite an impressive eight-under final round, he fell short to Ludvig Aberg.

He did turn heads ahead of the tournament though by flying his own private plane to Torrey Pines in San Diego, having earned his pilot's license two years prior.

McNealy hails from a sprawling mansion in Palo Alto, which was listed for a reported $100m back in 2021. Despite this, he chose to pursue his passion for golf rather than join his father in the business world to potentially earn billions.

McNealy insists that he had to fend for himself financially, even as a youngster. "My dad would've made me pay rent to live at home after school - I'm not kidding," he once said.

Such was the strict discipline he was raised under, his mother reportedly instilled in him the importance of good grades, a positive attitude and hard work, or risk having his cherished golf equipment taken away.

While McNealy had to settle for joint fifth in Ohio, it was the defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler who secured his third title of the year, following victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and PGA Championship. The win bagged Scheffler £2.9m ($4m).