Getting to play in the Masters is a dream in itself. But getting to play with Tiger Woods on Sunday in your Masters debut? Even crazier. And that’s what happened with Neal Shipley, the amateur who earned the 2024 Masters ticket following his runner-up finish at the 2023 U.S. Amateur. Even two years later, he cannot stop talking about it.

In a PGA Tour special video titled ‘The Life: Neal Shipley,’ the 25-year-old said of that particular Sunday, “Tiger, he doesn’t just move the needle. He is the needle. And being able to play with him on Sunday, we were a featured group, and we were the only people we could watch at the Masters from like 8:00 till like 10:30 or something like that. So, it was a crazy stage to be on, and getting that spotlight early.”

It’s not like Shipley knew of the pairing until the last moment. His caddie, Carter Pitcairn, teased him on Saturday afternoon after he “played terribly [80]” with a simple question, “Hey, guess who we are going to be paired with tomorrow?” But Shipley might have been dreaming of playing next to Woods, because he immediately answered, “No way, it’s Tiger.”

Following the Sunday round, Shipley said of Woods, “He’s such a normal guy and really cool. He was great to me all day.” He also added that it was amazing to witness the “phenomenal” patrons who cheered all day long. He loved it, and it made his day. But he is hardly the only golfer to say so. Scott Stallings once shared a moment from the Memorial Tournament, calling it “awesome.”

Meanwhile, as is the case with the Masters, the final round averaged a 5.2 rating and 9.59M viewers on CBS, higher than four of five World Series games. So, yes, it was a wild weekend. After all, it was the biggest stage the Ohio grad was playing at.

However, Woods shot 77 on Sunday and finished last in the field. Shipley did it slightly better, finishing T53. Regardless, it was a wild week for Shipley. He was the only amateur to make the cut at the 2024 Masters and went on to win the Low Amateur. He went on to play the U.S. Open and won the Low Amateur there as well.

Following that, Shipley became only the ninth player in history to win low amateur honors at the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. And now that he has secured his Tour card for this season, he has also gained widespread support.

Meanwhile, Woods is indeed the needle-mover. Aside from his involvement behind the scenes at the PGA Tour, including with the Future Competition Committee, Woods is a huge attraction for your average golf fan. Take, for example, last year’s Masters.

Given Woods’s absence, the opening round suffered a huge setback, with the viewership averaging 2.3 million viewers, a 28% drop from the 2024 Masters. However, Rory McIlroy‘s win on Sunday boosted the viewership to a high of 12.7M viewers.

But the absence of Woods is harmful in the long run. The same goes for TGL, which suffered a viewership drop. That is perhaps also why the senior Tour is hoping for Woods’s debut. Undoubtedly, that will help boost attention to the circuit.

Top Stories

Patrick Reed Willing to End Rory McIlroy Feud Using Bizarre Measure Years After ‘Tee-Gate’

Paige Spiranac Undergoes Major Transformation as She Makes Jaws Drop With New ‘Life Update’

Rickie Fowler Cautions 18-Year-Old Pro as He Scripts PGA Tour History

‘Rest in Peace’: PGA Tour in Mourning as NFL Legend-Turned-Golf Pro Dies at 90

After Heated Run-Ins With Officials, Shane Lowry Claims He Helped Change a Golf Rule

Tommy Gainey drops major Tiger Woods news

“There’ve been rumors he’s going to play out here. I don’t know if any of the golf fans in TV land or radio land have seen, but he signed a deal with Insperity. You could see it on his sleeve, so that’s good news,” said Tommy Gainey about the possible Tiger Woods debut on the Champions Tour during an interview on the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

Now, these conversations have been here for a long time, with pros advising the senior Tour might just work better with Tiger Woods’s current health status. Here’s what Notah Begay III said. Besides this, Woods also turned 50 in December, making him fully eligible to play on the Champions Tour. Now, a possible partnership with Insperity could signal that Woods is, in fact, thinking of the same. The deal was first announced last year.

As Gainey rightfully pointed out, the Insperity Invitational is an event on the Champions Tour, played every year from May 4 to 10. Now, that’s enough time for Woods to recover from his latest health setback, a seventh back surgery. So, yes, that will be another stage to witness Tiger Woods perform and be a needle-mover.