Ohio State Buckeyes Golfer Neal Shipley 'Really Excited' For 2024 Masters Tournament

Ohio State Buckeyes golfer Neal Shipley is set to get his shot at the most prestigious tournament in golf

The Masters is without a doubt the most prestigious tournament in the world of golf, professionals and amateurs alike spending their lives dreaming of getting a chance to walk the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club as a player.

Now, Ohio State Buckeyes golfer Neal Shipley has the rare honor of being one of five amateur players in the field this week, thanks to his top-2 finish at last summer's U.S. Amateur.

And he could not be more excited about the opportunity.

Apr 9, 2024; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Neal Shipley tosses his ball on no. 16 during a practice round

Katie Goodale, Katie Goodale / USA TODAY

“I think everyone who grows up playing golf competitively or at any level kind of dreams about playing at Augusta or competing in the Masters,” Shipley said in an interview with Eleven Warriors. “So certainly living out one of my childhood dreams. I've heard so much about the week and how special it is, and I'm just really excited to experience it and experience the Masters and everything that it represents for our game.”

Obviously, the best of the best will be in the field with Shipley this week, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, John Rahm, Xander Schauffele and many others - each of whom knows the course intimately.

But despite being an amateur, Shipley isn't going in completely blind, getting a chance to play the course multiple times since earning his invite, including with golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

As a result, he believes he has a good feel for the course, and that his game should translate well onto it.

“I think it fits my game really well,” Shipley said in the interview. “It really favors a guy who hits great iron shots and is a really good driver of the golf ball. Putting is really important there. But bottom line is you have to hit a lot of greens to score. So I think it fits my game in that way.

Shipley will tee off alongside Mike Weir and Ryo Hisatsune at 11:30 am ET.