Neal Shipley isn’t a name golf fans knew before the weekend started. Now, he will be the lowest-scoring amateur at the Masters. He was the lone amateur to make the cut. The pressure was off, and now he can enjoy living out a golf dream while playing at Augusta.
Neal Shipley At The Masters
Neal Shipley, a grad student at Ohio State, finished runner-up in the U.S. Amateur. Lone amateur to make the cut at the Masters, so he's guaranteed to be in Butler Cabin for the ceremony. And his Sunday pairing: Tiger Woods. What a week. pic.twitter.com/8kdKqqmMRp
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) April 13, 2024
Neal Shipley will be paired with none other than Tiger Woods on Sunday. What a way to end the weekend. While the legendary golfer posted the worst round of his career at Augusta, the amateur will get the dream of many golf fans: to play a round with Tiger Woods. Shipley struggled in the third round as well. He shot a one under 71 in the first round and followed it up with a four over 76 to make the cut. On Saturday, he shot an eight over 80.
The stories of the amateurs are often some of the best in sports. Golf is unique in the way that semi-pros can compete in the same tournament as the pros. It would be unheard of for a college football player to show up in the biggest NFL game of the year. In golf, they are able to compete on the biggest stage.
Neal Shipley: Who Is He?
Neal Shipley is an Ohio State University graduate student. He got into golf by watching the Masters with his dad.
“Me and my dad were on our couch. And Vijay Singh won. The next day I took my dad’s golf clubs, which were dusty and probably never used, and started swinging around. I decided to get my own little set, and it took off from there.”
He told his elementary school teachers that his plan was to become a professional golfer. Now, he is set to become the lowest-scoring amateur at one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world. His childhood friend, Carter Pitcairn, is caddying for him this week, making it an experience they can share together.
Regardless of what happens on Sunday, Neal Shipley will be remembered in Masters history. Will we see him down the road as a professional in future tournaments?
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Matt Brown has been following sports since he was a kid. While football is his primary focus, Matt can talk about any sport anytime. He is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
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