Neal ShipleyPhoto: JMU Athletics
James Madison University men’s golf alumnus Neal Shipley has officially locked in his place on the PGA TOUR for the 2026 season, according to Wednesday’s announcement from the Korn Ferry Tour.
Although Shipley will be considered a first-year TOUR member rather than a rookie—having already competed in eight PGA TOUR events in 2024—his achievement marks a historic moment for JMU golf. He becomes just the second Duke in program history to earn a PGA TOUR card, following Mark Carnevale’s accomplishment in 1991.
Currently sitting at No. 3 in the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, Shipley has built an impressive 2025 campaign with two victories: the LECOM Suncoast Classic in April and the Ascendant presented by Blue in July. He joins Johnny Keefer and Austin Smotherman among the Korn Ferry players who have already clinched TOUR status for 2026. Twenty TOUR cards are awarded through the Korn Ferry standings next year.
A 2022 graduate of JMU with a degree in quantitative finance, Shipley went on to compete at Ohio State for two seasons before turning professional in 2024. That same year, he captured national attention by earning low amateur honors at both The Masters and the U.S. Open—the first golfer since Viktor Hovland in 2019 to do so. At JMU, Shipley posted a career scoring average of 72.93, the sixth-lowest in program history.
SOURCE: Rocktown Now