Neal Shipley became a viral sensation at the 2024 Masters for much more than his impressive golf game, but the amateur insists there was a very good explanation for the behavior that turned him into a meme.
Shipley was the only amateur golfer to make the cut at the Masters this year. The Ohio State graduate student was then fortunate enough to be paired with Tiger Woods on the final day.
After the tournament, a reporter claimed to have seen Woods hand Shipley a note on the 8th hole during Sunday’s round. Shipley nervously looked to his right when he was asked about and denied that the exchange took place. You can see the video here.
Shipley was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday. Naturally, he was asked about the bizarre press conference question.
He said he was “so confused” because Tiger did not hand him a note and he was unfamiliar with the reporter who asked the question (it was Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports).
“This guy from Yahoo Spots — who I’ve never met — says that to me and I look over at the moderator like, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ Because that just didn’t happen,” Shipley said. “I was so confused. That’s why. I was so shocked in the moment.”
Shipley also went viral for the way he nervously kept glancing to his right while he was being interviewed in Butler Cabin by CBS’ Jim Nantz and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley after the Masters.
McAfee asked Shipley about that, too. The 22-year-old said he was so nervous that he kept looking at the teleprompter to try to figure out when it was his turn to speak.
“I was so nervous. The last thing I wanted to do was swear on national TV or say something stupid,” Shipley explained. “I also didn’t want to speak out of turn, so I was trying to look at the teleprompter that’s going on so I knew my cues (like a) dumba–.”
All of that makes perfect sense. Most people in Shipley’s position would have been nervous wrecks. He just finished an 18-hole round with Tiger Woods at Augusta National and was sitting in a room with Nantz, Ridley, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. Life comes at you fast, as they say.
Next time, Shipley will probably make sure to keep his eyes forward.
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