The Shadow
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison men’s golf alum Neal Shipley officially earned his PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season on Wednesday afternoon, as announced by the Korn Ferry Tour. Shipley – who will be considered a first-year member on the PGA TOUR in 2026 instead of a rookie due to competing in eight PGA TOUR events in 2024 – joins Mark Carnevale (1991) as the two JMU alumni to earn a PGA TOUR card in school history.
Shipley – currently ranked No. 3 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List – has notched two wins this season, the LECOM Suncoast Classic in April and the Ascendant presented by Blue in July. He joins Johnny Keefer and Austin Smotherman as Korn Ferry members who have earned a PGA TOUR card for the 2026 season, as 20 PGA TOUR cards are available through the Korn Ferry Points List in 2025.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in quantitative finance from James Madison in 2022, Shipley spent two seasons season at Ohio State before turning pro in 2024. He became the first golfer since Viktor Hovland (2019) to earn low amateur honors at The Masters and U.S. Open. Shipley holds the sixth-lowest career scoring average (72.93) in JMU program history.
