Neal Shipley, who capitalized on 2 big opportunities in Colorado en route to the PGA Tour, is the subject of most recent episode of ‘The Life’, which just debuted on NBC
By Gary Baines – 1/24/2026
Neal Shipley grew up in Pittsburgh, played his college golf at James Madison and Ohio State, and now lives in south Florida. But it’s in Colorado where he’s recorded two of the most important performances of his golf career to date.
At the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club, Shipley finished runner-up to Nick Dunlap, thus earning spots in the 2024 Masters and U.S. Open, where he landed low-amateur honors in both cases. Not only that, but the exuberant golfer with the long, flowing hair became a fan favorite — both among the people on hand at Cherry Hills that week and to a much wider audience on national TV.
Then professionally, Shipley won The Ascendant presented by Blue at TPC Colorado last July, effectively locking up his PGA Tour card for 2026. In the final round at The Ascendant, he overcame a seven-stroke deficit with an 8-under-par 64 on Sunday — despite a double bogey along the way.
“It was awesome to be back here in Colorado, where I had a lot of success in the Amateur,” Shipley said that day. “It was awesome seeing a lot of the fans and volunteers that were out at Cherry Hills. With that and this win, Colorado and Denver and the area really has a special place in my heart.”
Speaking of Cherry Hills specifically, Shipley noted, “It’s such a cool golf course, a special place, and definitely has a special place in my heart. I mean, that’s where all this started.”
We bring this up now because on Saturday (Jan. 24), Shipley became the latest subject of PGA Tour Studios’ “The Life” series, which focuses on prominent players and takes viewers beyond tournament golf and helps show what they’re like off the course. The 30-minute program will be available on the PGA Tour’s YouTube channel, on PGATour.com and on the tour’s social media outlets. To access it on YouTube, CLICK HERE.
“The Life: Neal Shipley” touches on both of his Colorado accomplishments, albeit relatively briefly.
Regarding his look — the long hair contributing to his fan-favorite status during the U.S. Am at Cherry Hills — and how he performed that week, Shipley said, “I grew the hair really long for the year and a half leading up to the U.S. Amateur, and I had a great run. I’m the kid with the long hair. There goes ever cutting my hair again.
“I’m kind of glad I kept it long. It makes me look a little different than everyone else, which is nice.”
Then “The Life” shows Shipley making a birdie putt on the final hole to claim victory at The Ascendant at TPC Colorado — which was his second KFT win of 2025.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “I feel like I’m one of the best players in the world. To be able to get through the Korn Ferry Tour in one year I think is a signal that I’m doing the right things and that my game is going in the right direction and that I am able to compete with anybody week in and week out. I’m looking forward to trying to prove that this year on the PGA Tour.”
Overall, “The Life: Neal Shipley” — which is presented by JLab, a sponsor of Shipley — takes viewers from the West Palm Beach, Fla., area, where Shipley now resides, to Pennsylvania (including to famed Oakmont Country Club, where he caddied) and to Ohio State. Among the things it revisits is him being paired with Tiger Woods for the final round of the 2024 Masters (“It definitely changed my life,” he said.)
Shipley reacts to his tournament-winning putt at TPC Colorado last summer.
Noted Jay Moseley, Ohio State men’s golf coach: “I’ve described Neal Shipley as one of the most interesting people in the world. (Shipley received a Masters in data analytics from OSU). He’s truly a man of the people. … Neal’s the kind of guy who makes his own path.”
Regarding his first season as an exempt player on the PGA Tour — in 2026 — Shipley said, “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. I think I’m here because I had some lofty goals and I chased after them relentlessly. It’s been a big journey to get here. … I’m excited to have a great year.”
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com