This will be a week Neal Shipley will never forget. And it may not be topped for quite some time.

The Ohio State graduate student was the lone amateur to make the cut after shooting a first-round 1-under 71 and a second-round 4-over 76 to shoot 3-over in the first two rounds and comfortably make the cut.

After an 8-over 80 in the third round, Shipley was not happy with his performance, especially after making a double bogey on No. 18. However, his spirits were lifted after he saw who he was paired with for the final round.

15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods.

Shipley shot a final round 1-over 73 and finished 12-over and T53 overall. He recorded four birdies and five bogeys during the final round. 

"Playing with Tiger on Sunday at the Masters, I think I would have to win one of these to top this week," Shipley said after his round. "It has definitely been a dream week, but I am looking forward to being out here soon, hopefully."

Shipley, a transfer from James Madison, was not a well-known collegiate player until this year when he made the national spotlight in the Elite Amateur Series and finished runner-up in the 2023 U.S. Amateur. 

Shipley is currently ranked No. 12 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com U.S. Rankings.

"It has certainly been quite the journey and a lot of hard work has been put into that," Shipley said. "There have been a lot of lows along the journey, but I am proud of myself for how I have rolled with the punches throughout the years and kept working and striving for goals like this."

In terms of having a conversation, Tiger was open to chat.

"We talked a lot about golf and Charlie," Shipley said. "Just normal things. He is such a normal guy and really cool, and he was great to me all day." 

Shipley added, “I couldn’t be more appreciative of him.”

RELATED
Neal Shipley is ready to tackle Augusta National for the first time
2024 Masters Content Hub

Heading into the tournament, Shipley made sure he was soaking it all in and learning the course. 

"When you drive down Magnolia Lane, it really doesn’t even feel real," Shipley told amateurgolf.com in March. "It is crazy to think that what I did at the U.S. Amateur led me to that. The biggest thing is thinking through the golf course before the week because there are so many things to learn." 

He was also able to connect with PGA Tour professional Russell Henley, who Ohio State assistant coach Jimmy Beck knows, as they are both from Columbus, Ga.

"He has been super helpful and brought some insights," Shipley said about Henley. "He is really underrated and has played great for years now." Shipley finished two shots ahead of Henley in the opening round. 

The other four amateurs that teed it up this weekend missed the cut.

Stewart Hagestad finished 8-over and T71 after a 6-over 78 second-round, Christo Lamprecht finished 8-over with Hagestad, Santiago De La Fuente finished 10-over, and Jasper Stubbs finished 12-over to miss the cut.