Neal Shipley Explains Awkward Interview At The Masters And Shuts Down Conspiracy Theory About Nonexistent Tiger Woods Note

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Neal Shipley finished as the Low Amateur at The Masters this year, and he essentially assured people would remember him thanks to a fairly awkward interview in Butler Cabin after the tournament wrapped up—a memeable moment he shed some light on a few days after the dust settled.

Shipley, a Pittsburgh native who played college golf at James Madison University and Ohio State, was one of the five amateurs who earned the right to head to Augusta National Golf Club in 2024 to take part in The Masters. He was the only member of that quintet to make the cut, which meant he spent the last two days of the event knowing he’d be thrust into the spotlight when it wrapped up.

When everything was said and done,  Shipley tied for 53rd after posting a +12 over 72 holes, but it’s safe to assume the score was a bit of an afterthought for a man who was not only paired up with Tiger Woods for his final round but managed to shoot four strokes lower than the golf legend.

Shipley was subsequently whisked off to Butler Cabin to sit down next to Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm for an interview with Jim Nantz prior to the trophy presentation, and it seemed like he was very on edge based on a series of nervous glances viewers had a hard time ignoring.

On Tuesday, Shipley appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to address the sitdown that gave off some very strong Hostage Video Vibes, and he poked some fun at himself while admitting his nerves got the best of him.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I was so nervous. The last thing I wanted to do was swear on national TV or say something stupid. I also didn’t want to speak out of turn, so I was trying to look at the teleprompter so I knew my cues. Dumba–. 

I finish up all the presentations and we go back to our party house. I’ve had a few I.C. Lights and all of a sudden my family’s like, ‘Hey Neil, have you seen these memes of you?’ I’m like, ‘What memes? What are you talking about?’ Then they start absolutely roasting me for the next three hours.”

Shipley also got the chance to address another awkward moment that transpired when a reporter asked him about a nonexistent note Tiger Woods supposedly slipped to him on the course and shut down a theory he was coached to avoid the question, stating, “It just didn’t happen.”