Neal Shipley has opened up on his experience of playing alongside Tiger Woods – his childhood hero – at the 2024 Masters Tournament this past Sunday, describing it as ‘the frickin’ coolest day of my life.’
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN on Tuesday, the 22-year-old amateur golfer – the only one of his kind to have made the cut at Augusta National this year – was asked if he’ll now forever remember teaming up with Woods – a 15-major champ.
‘Oh yeah, I knew that was the frickin’ coolest day of my life. Can’t beat that,’ Shipley, who shut down claims that Woods passed him a note at some point while playing on Sunday, said, at first. ‘I mean Tiger is so cool and that’s probably once in a lifetime for me. I mean, he doesn’t play very much anymore and who knows when I’ll be back in a situation to be playing with him… so, I mean, gosh, it was unbelievable.
‘I mean I really took it down to like 12 tee. He got a standing ovation and walked up 18. I let him go up ahead of me and I mean that was unbelievable, to see that in person and being inside of the ropes of that. It was so cool.’
Asked if he was nervous because he was playing in front of Woods and other patrons on the most prestigious golf course of America, Shipley said he was only focused on his game and that Woods even complimented him at one point.
Neal Shipley was still on cloud nine about his Masters experience with Tiger Woods on Tuesday
Shipley and Woods were paired up for the final round of the tournament on Sunday in Augusta
‘I mean I was pretty locked in,’ he told McAfee. ‘At the end of the day, it’s just golf.
‘But I mean the coolest thing was I think I had like really hoped to drive on 2 and Tiger was like ”hey good drive” and I was like ”oh my gosh, that was freaking stick.”’
Shipley said the moment he learned he was going to play with Woods was when he was feeling pretty bummed on the practice range at Augusta National after a third-round 80 in the Masters.
The 22-year-old won the Silver Cup as the only amateur golfer to have made the cut this year
The amateur’s caddie and good friend, Carter Pitcairn, walked over Saturday night and excitedly asked him, ‘Hey, guess who we are going to be paired with tomorrow?’ The Ohio State player knew right away, responding: ‘No way. It’s Tiger?’
‘I got pretty excited,’ Shipley said, ‘and that’s when the emotions turned around.’
Shipley played his final round with Woods and shot a 1-over 73 on Sunday, winning the Silver Cup in the process. It was the perfect finish to what he called a ‘dream week.’
‘I think I have to win one of these things to kind of top this week,’ Shipley, who tied for 53rd at 12-over 300, said on Sunday while pointing to a green jacket.