The back and forth between Neal Shipley, and competitor Luke Clanton, came to an end at the final hole of Pinehurst No.2, with Shipley as the victor. The two amateurs had been in a tight duel throughout their time in the U.S. Open this past weekend and Shipley was able to overcome Clanton by two strokes. Shipley finished with a 2-over 72 for the day and shot a 6-over 286 total.
The 23 year old now has not one, but two amateur honors this year, receiving his first at The Masters back in April. He is now the sixth player to earn low amateur at both The Masters and the U.S. Open in the same year, following Ken Venturi (1956), Jack Nicklaus (1960), Phil Mickelson (1991), Matt Kuchar (1998), and Viktor Hovland (2019), all of whom have gone on to secure multiple wins on the PGA Tour.
“It’s really an honor to win the low amateur here, and especially at Pinehurst”, Shipley remarked, surrounded by family and friends who had come to watch his amateur finale. “It’s a really special place” (via Global Golf Post).
The 25th two-ball of the day with the duo Shipley and Clanton teeing off at 12:04 p.m. gave the feeling of a tournament within a tournament: a mini showdown in the middle of a national event.
From almost 25 yards to the pin, Shipley was prepared to make his shot onto the green when the ball appeared to move. Diligently following the rules, Shipley notified officials and was penalized one stroke after he, the officials, and playing partner Aaron Rai confirmed the movement after watching video playback. After concluding his chip onto the fringe, Shipley two-putted to turn his potential bogey into a double. Shipley explained his frustrations with what had happened, but handled the situation with class. “Making the assumption that my club was what caused it to move is a fair assessment. Honestly, I don’t think I caused it to move, but it doesn’t really matter what I think. It’s a tough one to swallow, but that’s golf. You have to move on” (via Golf Digest).
With this double-bogey, Clanton and Shipley were all tied up. It appeared the match would finish all-square and Clanton would have a chance to tie with Shipley for the amateur medal when he stuck his wedge shot five feet from the pin on the par-4 closing hole. But unfortunately for Clanton, no such luck was in store for him. His putt rolled 4 and a half feet past the cup and missed the comebacker. The Florida State junior would go on to end the round with a 4-over 74 and 8-over 288 total, tying him for 41st place.
For Shipley, now that he’s acquired two of amateur golf’s most sought after awards, his sights are set on becoming a professional. Reflecting on his win and time playing as an amateur, the Pittsburgh native said, “It just really solidifies my amateur career as I turn pro next week, and I’m just really happy with the career I’ve had as an amateur and the legacy hopefully that I’ll leave” (via Global Golf Post).
Photo Credit: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Get your personalized plan with Membership Exclusive Features
JGH offers a subscription package for users seeking a personalized experience. This includes creating a custom college list, matching with programs and coaches, managing tournament schedules, and accessing contact information for every college coach in the country. Click here to learn more.