'Raw Emotion!' Ohio State's Neal Shipley Punches Ticket to Masters, U.S. Open

Since transferring to Ohio State from James Madison, graduate student Neal Shipley has made waves in the Buckeyes' golf program, and now, he's set to join some of the biggest names in the sport at next year's U.S. Masters and U.S. Open.

Author:
Matt Guzman
Aug 21, 2023 9:57 AM EDT

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Ohio State Buckeyes

If you ask Ohio State Buckeyes golf coach Jay Moseley, Neal Shipley is an interesting character.

Whether it was his knowledge of the game or his passion and competitive spirit, Shipley made an instant impression on the Buckeyes' program after transferring in from James Madison, and Moseley couldn't have been more pleased with the newest member of his team.

“[Transfer students] are certainly different than true freshmen," Moseley said back in May. "They come in pretty much drinking water out of a fire hose from day one. Neal, obviously, knows the ropes. He stepped right in, and it was like he had been here for a couple years. His transition has been pretty incredible.”

Incredibly is certainly one way to describe the 22-year-old. Not only is he a leader in Moseley's program, but he's a top-tier talent in golf, but that was true even when he was just a graduate transfer student to Ohio State.

Now, Shipley is a U.S. Amateur runner-up and will be taking the stage at one of the largest golf tournaments in the world. And he's still got one more year of eligibility.

Entering the U.S. Amateur, Shipley not only knew what was at stake, but he also entered in with confidence that he'd be able to show what he was capable of, and that he did, finishing second-place overall in a field of 312.

But for a second, it almost looked like he wouldn't. After 10 holes, Shipley found himself down by three strokes to John Marshall Butler with only eight holes to play.

“Three-down after 10, I wasn't mentally defeated, but I knew I was going to have to do something pretty special and continue to hit a lot of good golf shots," Shipley said following his semifinal victory. "And I think I did just that.”

The shot that landed him the spot in the Amateur championship was certainly one of the easiest of the day, but the shot prior — the one that virtually kept his U.S. Masters hopes alive — might have been the hardest, which explained Shipley's mile-wide smile that never left his face as he made his way to the cup for the final putt.

And once Shipley saw the ball go in, nothing else mattered.

“After that shot, [I had] just raw emotion. I was just so excited,” Shipley said. “I saw it almost go in and I knew it was tight just because it looked like it touched the shadow on the bottom of the flagstick, and everyone was going crazy, I was going crazy."

Crazy would be a fitting word for the spectacle that was his celebration, but it was undoubtedly warranted. Because of his second-place finish, Shipley instantly qualified via exemption to a slew of tourneys over the next several years.

Automatic entry into the U.S. Masters and the U.S. Open headline the list, which also includes the next three years of the U.S. Amateur, next year's Monroe Invitational, and next year's Northwest Amateur, where he'll get a chance to prove his skill even more against some of the country's best golfers.

Shipley isn't a stranger to success, however. In his first season with the Buckeyes, he had two top-15 finishes and a seventh-place finish throughout the season, bringing with him his impressive play and his "good energy" the entire time.

“He’s been an absolute pleasure to have on the team,” Moseley said of Shipley, even prior to his U.S. Amateur success. “He’s been a lot of fun, brought a lot of good energy. He’s certainly one of the more interesting characters in college golf.”

This summer specifically, Shipley became one of the Buckeyes' top student-athletes – if that wasn't already the case. Apart from his recent runner-up finish, the 22-year-old also finished second at The Dogwood Invitational, the Sunnehanna Amateur and the Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship, all of which helped him prepare for the U.S. Amateur and improve his World Amateur Golf ranking at the same time.

Shipley is currently ranked 118th, and following his U.S. Amateur finish, that will likely increase to the 100-and-below range, which to any other golfer, would be reason for celebration. Sure, Shipley might show a little more raw emotion when he joins the esteemed list, but he still won't be satisfied. At least not yet.

Because with another full year of eligibility in Columbus waiting for him, Shipley is far from done with his golf career. Now, it's up to him to show just how great he can be.

“I truly believe I'm one of the top 35 players in the world," Shipley said. "I have a lot of faith in my game, and I feel like if I play well, I can beat anyone."