Attention golf fans far and wide: Get used to hearing the name Neal Shipley.
It’s safe to say the 23-year-old rookie from Pittsburgh made quite the impression during his first — and perhaps last — CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open.
With a large gallery of fans following him during the final two rounds at Southwood Golf & Country Club, Shipley put on quite a show that ended with heartbreak on the final hole Sunday afternoon.
Neil Shipley reacts after missing a putt on the 18th hole of the final round of the Manitoba Open Sunday.
An errant drive on the 18th tee landed deep in the fescue, forcing him to chip out rather than attack the green.
“Just a bad swing,” Shipley told the Free Press. “I missed a couple left on the back nine. And we were just trying to hit a little low pull cut. Just kind of hit a straight ball, the wind took it. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
He was unable to save par, missing about a nine-foot putt that would have forced a playoff. Rounds of 63-64-69-67 left him in a tie for second place at 25-under par and holding his head high despite the tough ending.
“I’m playing really well. Have been playing really well. It’s just a matter of time when I win, whether it’s here (on the PGA Tour Americas) or the big tour,” said Shipley.
“I just didn’t do a couple things down the stretch very well. And you know, Johnny played great. So hats off to him.”
Indeed, Shipley and Keefer seemed to be having a great time despite being in the final group with a huge gallery watching them play high-stakes golf. The pair have previously played about a half-dozen times together in college.
“It was definitely fun in the moment. I wouldn’t want to have a battle with a guy other than Johnny. He’s great. He’s awesome,” said Shipley.
“I feel great for him. He’s been playing great. He’s come really close several times. I’m definitely happy for him. It stings right now, but he’s just a great guy and I wouldn’t want to lose to anyone else.”
Shipley first made sports headlines in April when he not only made the cut at The Masters but finished as the low amateur — while playing in the final round on Sunday with his idol, Tiger Woods. He ultimately finished tied for 53rd.
Then came the U.S. Open in June, when he made the cut and again won low amateur honours and ended up tied for 26th.
Shipley, who had just wrapped up his studies at Ohio State University, turned professional later in the month and received sponsor’s exemptions into five more PGA Tour events. He made the cut in four — finishing as high as a tie for sixth last month at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky — and has already made US$295,403.
Shipley is playing on PGA Tour Americas as a result of qualifying school earlier this year. He finished tied for ninth in his debut in late June in Victoria, then missed the cut last week in Saskatchewan. He’ll play next week’s event in Minnesota and then the season-ending tournament in Toronto.
WHAT’S NEXT: This was the fifth straight time the Manitoba Open has been held at Southwood, which marks the end of the contract. While there’s been plenty of rumblings about what the future holds, no official announcement has been made yet by PGA Tour Americas.
One thing is certain: The local tournament, which dates back to 1919 and is one of the oldest in North America, is not going anywhere, even if a change in venue may be coming.
Expect an announcement in the coming weeks about a new setup which include a multi-course rotation.
Not only did the 2024 version end in exciting fashion, net proceeds of $63,880 from the past week have been donated to the charitable partner, the True North Youth Foundation. This brings Southwood’s total over the past three years since the partnership began to more than $235,000.
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Mike McIntyre
Sports reporter
Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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