As Neal Shipley rode back to the clubhouse following his semifinal win at last summer’s U.S. Amateur, he realized the opportunity he had just earned with that accomplishment.
The top two finishes of each year’s U.S. Amateur are invited to The Masters, giving the Ohio State senior the coveted chance to play in golf’s most storied tournament.
“The USGA guys pull me out to go do some media up the hill at the clubhouse, and it kind of hit me going up the hill and I turn around to my caddy (his childhood friend Carter Pitcairn, who plays at Wisconsin), we’re in the cart, he's in the back and I’m like, ‘Hey Carter, we just got a tee time at effing Augusta National,’” Shipley said.