Masters amateur Neal Shipley says playing Tiger Woods was ‘naughtiest’ coolest day of my life’

Neal Shipley has opened up about his experience of playing alongside Tiger Woods – his boyhood hero – at the 2024 Masters Tournament this past Sunday, describing it as ‘the greatest fuckin’ 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 make the cut at Augusta National this year – was asked if he will now forever remember teaming up with Woods – a 15-major champ.

‘Oh yeah, I knew it was the shittiest day of my life. Can’t beat it,’ said Shipley, who shut down that Woods passed him a note at one point while playing Sunday in the first round. ‘I mean, Tiger is so cool and it’s probably a once in a lifetime thing for me. I mean, he doesn’t play very much anymore and who knows when I’ll get back in a situation where I can play with him… so I mean, gosh, it was incredible.

‘I mean I really took it down to the 12 tee. He got a standing ovation and went up 18. I let him go up in front of me and I mean, it was incredible to see it in person and be inside the ropes of it. It was so cool.’

Asked if he was nervous playing in front of Woods and other patrons at the most prestigious golf course in America, Shipley said he was just focused on his game and that Woods even complimented him at one point.

Shipley and Woods were paired 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 that I had been hoping to ride the 2 and Tiger was like, ‘hey, nice ride,’ and I was like, ‘oh my god, that was a badass stick.’ ”

Shipley said the moment he knew he was going to play with Woods was when he was feeling pretty down on the practice green at Augusta National after a third-round 80 at the Masters.

The 22-year-old won the Silver Cup as the only amateur golfer to make the cut this year

The amateur’s caddy and good friend, Carter Pitcairn, walked by on Saturday night and excitedly asked him: ‘Hey, guess who we’re going to be paired with tomorrow?’ The Ohio State player knew immediately, and replied, ‘No way. Is that Tiger?’

‘I got quite excited,’ Shipley said, ‘and that’s when the emotions turned.’

Playing his final round with Woods, Shipley shot a 1-over 73 on Sunday, winning the Silver Cup in the process. It was the perfect end to what he called a ‘dream week’.

“I think I’ve got to win one of those things to make it to the top this week,” Shipley, who finished 53rd in the 12-over 300, said Sunday while pointing to a green jacket.