Neal Shipley was one of America’s top amateur golfers before he turned professional in 2024.
The tall, long-haired and instantly recognisable competitor from Pittsburgh reached the final of the US Amateur at Cherry Hills in Colorado in 2023, coming second to Nick Dunlap.
Shipley is a graduate of Ohio State University and he won the Southwestern Invitational in California in 2024. In the year before, he came second in the Dogwood Invitational, Sunnehanna Amateur and Trans-Mississippi Amateur.
He won the 2022 Pennsylvania State Amateur at Llanerch Country Club and before he went to Ohio State, Shipley helped Pittsburgh Central Catholic to its first two state championships.
Before attending Ohio State University, Shipley graduated from James Madison University in 2022 after three years with a degree in quantitative finance. Like Arnold Palmer, Shipley won both Junior and Open titles of Western Pennsylvania.
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2024 was also the year he made his Masters debut where he admirably finished in a tie for 53rd as an amateur, but the most memorable part of his week would have been his draw with Tiger Woods in the last round at Augusta National.
“Today being out there with Tiger, we were chatting. We talked a lot about just golf, Charlie and just normal things. He’s such a normal guy and really cool. He was great to me all day,” he said in Georgia.
“Couldn’t be more appreciative of him just being awesome today, and it was just really cool to be around him and just the attention he gets and the roars. The crowds were phenomenal.”
Shipley was the low amateur of the week at the 2024 Masters and he performed superbly again to be the low amateur at the US Open at Pinehurst No.2 where he came tied for 26th.
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“It’s been wild. It’s been something that maybe three, four years ago I didn’t think was possible, and to accomplish all this has just been phenomenal. Just the stuff of dreams really as an amateur to do everything I’ve done. I think I’ve checked all the boxes now,” he said after becoming low amateur at a second major in 2024.
In the year he turned professional, Shipley played 10 times on the PGA Tour, but he also played five times on the PGA Tour Americas circuit. He came tied for second at the CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open and third at the CRMC Championship presented by Gertens in his pursuit of winning a first professional title.
In 2025, Shipley starred in season 3 of Full Swing, the popular Netflix documentary series that follows players nd key story lines of the golf world.
Neal Shipley golf profile
Personal Information
Name: Neal Shipley
Nationality: United States
Residence: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Career
College: James Madison and Ohio State
Turned Pro: 2024
Neal Shipley | What’s in his bag?
Driver: Ping G430 LST (9°, Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X shaft)
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15°, Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X shaft), Titleist TSR3 (13.5°, Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X shaft)
5-wood: Ping G430 Max (18°, Fujikura Ventus TR Black 8 X shaft)
Irons: Ping i230 (3), Ping Blueprint S (4), Ping Blueprint T (5-9)True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 X100 shafts in all
Wedges: Ping s159 (46°, 50°, 54°, 60°) True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 X100 (46-54), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60) shafts
Putter: Ping PLD Anser
NOW READ: The complete list of amateur winners on tour
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