MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 12, 2024

Neal Shipley

Quick Quotes

Q. I heard you say you were a little nervous coming in there. Could you talk us through your round and your back nine.

NEAL SHIPLEY: Just had a few bad swings coming into the back nine. Didn't really play my best golf on that stretch 10 through 12. I was just able to get some momentum going with a really good putt on 13 and just kind of kept it steady coming into the clubhouse from there.

Q. Can you talk about the wind conditions?

NEAL SHIPLEY: It's really hard right now. Yesterday was a little softer, so it was a bit more manageable. You have to be super precise right now, and the ball is kind of bouncing everywhere.

These guys this afternoon have a really tall task ahead of them.

Q. Did you have a game plan coming into today?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Just trying to take it one shot at a time and see what happens. I think I did a really good job of doing that. After going bogey, double, bogey on that stretch there, it's really easy to lose some momentum. We did a really good job of staying in it and just trying to hit some good golf shots the entire time.

Q. What did you talk about to your caddie and your friend down that last stretch?

NEAL SHIPLEY: We joke around a good bit. A lot of it's business. He keeps me loose and keeps me laughing. So I really enjoy it.

Q. Neal, you basically left that exact same spot last night at 8:00 p.m. and an early morning tee time. What was your wakeup call and your prep for this morning?

NEAL SHIPLEY: We were lucky we were able to get dinner really quickly last night, got to bed probably around 10:00, 10:30, woke up around like 5:30. Again, just did some activation stuff this morning. Got out here early.

It was kind of tough. The range was pretty jammed with that early start. Felt well prepared this morning and came out of the gates really strong.

Q. Very convenient for all the patrons with the leaderboards showing us exactly how the players are playing on the back nine. Was that convenient for you as well as you were hovering around the cut line?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Yeah, I could kind of get an idea from the guys at the top of the leaderboard that it's playing really tough today.

I figured like 2-over would be pretty safe and 3 would be a little iffy, but it looks like 3 is being safe and 4 is a chance. Glad I set my expectations a little higher.

Q. How will you enjoy the afternoon, or will you? I'm sure your phone will be close to you.

NEAL SHIPLEY: We're probably going to try to get some work in here, even though it's really windy. Say hi to some friends, get a good bite to eat, and relax probably. Maybe we'll watch some golf even.

Q. What will you work on this afternoon without altering your swing mechanics, just something to prepare you for this type of conditions without changing too many things?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Probably just a lot of putting and short game to start. I wasn't that strong with the putter today. I probably had two or three three-putts, which is something I don't do any longer. Try to clean that up and just get some confidence with the driver off the tee.

The range will be left-to-right, and I've been struggling with the left-to-right wind a little bit. Kind of working on that would be good.

Q. What was your expectations coming into the week? A case of making the cut or thinking about Low Am?

NEAL SHIPLEY: I was certainly thinking about Low Am. I thought I had a chance to compete with all those guys. I thought I showed that yesterday. In those really tough conditions, to shoot 1-under, that I belong out here. It's just kind of a matter of proving that.

Q. The thought that this could be your last Masters, you never know. Can you talk us through that thought process a little bit?

NEAL SHIPLEY: You never know with how your career goes, injuries, or just maybe things don't turn out the way you want to. I certainly don't think it's going to be my last Masters, but I think you have to treat every Masters as if it's your last probably until you win.

That's just a thought process, just to enjoy it. I think that kept me loose and not as nervous, just trying to enjoy the moment.

Q. Coming off the U.S. Am runner-up, how are you dealing with your game since that moment? How have things kind of progressed since that week for you?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Game's been really steady since then. I've had some really good weeks and some not so good weeks, and that's just how golf goes. Feeling really strong right now and feel like we can compete really well.

Get to stay through the weekend and show what we can do.

Q. How do you think your college teammates would describe you?

NEAL SHIPLEY: I don't know, you could ask him right there.

Q. I tried earlier.

(Laughter)

NEAL SHIPLEY: How would they describe me? I'd say pretty -- a joker, pretty much I like to make jokes a lot. They'd probably call me a lot of other things I couldn't say on camera.

Q. What do you like to do outside of golf?

NEAL SHIPLEY: I actually really enjoy fly fishing. That's something I did a lot in my time at JMU. It's a good way to kind of get out in nature and just get some time away from the clubs.

Q. How did you start playing golf?

NEAL SHIPLEY: None of my family plays, so we were watching the '04 PGA Championship, like me and my dad on our couch, and Vijay Singh won. The next day I took his golf clubs over, which were dusty and probably never used, and started swinging around.

I decided to get me my own little set and kind of took off from there. I kind of credit Vijay for getting me into it, which is pretty cool and I think a different story.

Q. Have you gotten the chance to meet him?

NEAL SHIPLEY: I did get the chance to meet him briefly. It's pretty cool. It's fun to watch him warm up on the range. It's a little different, but it's just really cool.

Q. Did you say anything to him, or did he say anything to you?

NEAL SHIPLEY: We didn't talk very long. I didn't get the chance to dive into that story. It was on the tee as he was about to go off for a practice round. I didn't want to bother him too much.

Q. Maybe something for later?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Something for later probably.

Q. I heard you got some practice trips. How many holes do you think you got in?

NEAL SHIPLEY: We did five practice trips. That's allotted for an amateur. I did like 36 or 27 every time out here. So I think it was something in the neighborhood of 140. I had a lot of work on the golf course, and I think that's one of the reasons I feel really comfortable.

I think Mike Weir's caddie asked me, coming up 18, how did you get to know the golf course so quickly? Well, I just took some good notes, and also talking to Jack Nicklaus doesn't hurt.

Q. What did Jack say?

NEAL SHIPLEY: He had a lot of really good stuff, just little tidbits for every hole.

Q. And then this week, you played too?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Yeah, I played 18 on Monday and 9 holes the other two days. Pretty much the max that you'd want to play. I think I did a really good job.

Q. Can you just talk about your relationship with your caddie?

NEAL SHIPLEY: Carter and I have been childhood best friends since we were -- he was 10, I was about 13. We both grew up in the same club, same country club south of town. We've been playing golf together since then. During the summer, we'd pretty much play golf every day together.

Then when we got into high school, I was a senior when he was a freshman in high school. Our high school matches, we had to drive ourselves to our matches. We were the only two kids in the south hills of Pittsburgh at our school, so I was his chauffeur for about a year. There's a lot of McDonald's trips and miles together in the car.

Q. What do you guys listen to in the car?

NEAL SHIPLEY: A bunch of country music. We're two big country guys. We both like to go fishing too and do stuff like that. We're just really, really close. This is even -- this week is even more special because he's on the bag and really happy I chose him.

Q. If you do make the cut, it's looking pretty good right now. What will it feel like to walk up to 18 at Augusta on Sunday?

NEAL SHIPLEY: The walk up to 18 on Sunday, I think it's going to be really, really cool, if it happens. Like you said, it looks good.

It would be really cool if I could put in some low numbers this weekend and really climb up that leaderboard. I'd really enjoy that.