The pride of Mount Lebanon’s and Central Catholic’s golf team is now an official PGA member. Ohio State golfer Neal Shipley just became the third Korn Ferry Tour player to get the card this year.
The announcement came Wednesday after Shipley’s impressive performance on the Korn Ferry Tour. He won two matches and had a streak of five consecutive top 10 finishes.
Advertisement
Shipley tried to make the cut as an amateur for the 125th U.S. Open in Oakmont in June. He had said it was a dream for him to play at his hometown course. Unfortunately, he did not qualify, but he was at Oakmont for the tournament, cheering players on and talking to fans.
Shipley played three years of collegiate golf at James Madison before transferring to Ohio State for the 2023-24 season. He stood apart by finishing as the low amateur at both the 2024 Masters and the 2024 U.S. Open, joining Jack Nicklaus as the only Ohio State golfers to achieve the low amateur honor at the Masters. At the 2024 Masters, Shipley was paired with golf legend Tiger Woods.
His recent performance includes tying for eighth place at the Pinnacle Bank Championship in Omaha, Neb., just last week. Shipley is among the top Korn Ferry Tour players, with the potential for an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour for the remainder of 2025 if he secures a third win this year.
Johnny Keefer and Austin Smotherman, both with two Korn Ferry Tour wins in 2025, are also close to earning immediate promotions.
Advertisement
A total of 20 Korn Ferry Tour players will earn PGA Tour cards for 2026, a reduction from 30 in the previous year.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Read the full article here
