Neal Shipley leaves US Open with another low-amateur honor as pro career nears

PINEHURST, N.C. — In what was a tournament within the tournament, Neal Shipley captured the low-amateur prize, holding off Luke Clanton by two shots.

For Shipley, who plays his college golf at Ohio State, it was his second magical week. He won low amateur at the Masters in April.

“It’s been wild,” Shipley said. “It’s been something that maybe three, four years ago I didn’t think was possible. Just the stuff of dreams really as an amateur to do everything I’ve done. I think I’ve checked all the boxes now.”

Shipley and Clanton, who plays at Florida State, were paired together in the final round Sunday, and Clanton had a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to tie Shipley for low amateur at 6-over par and missed it.

Clanton then missed his par putt to finish 8-over par.

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“I played good [but] I’m very frustrated,” Clanton said. “Congrats to Neal Shipley on a great week again and for going low-am Masters and low-am here. It’s awesome to see.”

Shipley became one of six players ever to finish as the low-am in the Masters and U.S. Open. He plans to turn pro next week.

“It just really solidifies my amateur career as I turn pro next week, and I’m just really happy with the career that I’ve had as an amateur and the legacy hopefully that I’ll leave,” he said.

Asked what he looks forward to most when he turns pro, Shipley said, “Probably cashing a check. I don’t know what I’m going to miss out on this week, but obviously I wouldn’t trade that for the experience I got this week, but it’ll hurt a little.”

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In another subplot to the week, Corey Conners, needed a finish of 11th place alone or better to secure a spot on the Canadian Olympic golf team.

Nick Taylor was already qualified for the team. Conners’ ninth-place finish allowed him to overtake Adam Hadwin for the second spot on the team.

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Xander Schauffele, ranked No. 2 in the world after winning the PGA Championship, finished 1-under par and in the top 10. That gives him three top 10s in all three majors this season.

Martin Kaymer, the last player to win a U.S. Open at Pinehurst, in 2014, finished the week 13-over par and in a tie for 64th. That was a far cry from his 9-under par final score in 2014, winning wire-to-wire by eight shots.

Wyndham Clark, the defending champion, finished 11-over par and in a tie for 56th. … Jackson Suber, the Korn Ferry Tour player who got into the field as an alternate when Jon Rahm withdrew with a foot injury, finished 18-over par.

Among the Met Area players in the field who made the cut, Max Greyserman, a Korn Ferry Tour player from Short Hills, N.J., closed his week out with a 2-under par 68 Sunday, which lifted him to a tie for 23rd. Cameron Young, the pride of Sleepy Hollow, finished 14-over par and Brandon Wu, from Scarsdale, finished 16-over.

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