Neal Shipley recently opened up on The Golf Parent podcast about his incredible Masters and U.S. Open experiences.

From practice rounds with seasoned pros to his unforgettable Sunday pairing with Tiger Woods at the 2024 Masters, the now-tour professional shared insights that every golf parent and junior player should hear.

But it was one particular observation about his childhood idol that caught everyone’s attention. What Shipley witnessed during those 18 holes at Augusta National revealed a side of Tiger that most fans never see. The now-PGA Tour professional observed something most fans never see. Tiger’s legendary shot-making ability has transformed into careful game management. “With his body he’s limited on what types of shots he can hit,” Shipley revealed during a recent interview.

READ: Charlie Woods undergoes drastic body transformation as son of gol

The physical constraints became obvious throughout their round. Tiger stuck to just two shots he felt comfortable executing. He played “this big peel cut” all day with his driver. Meanwhile, his iron play featured “a little back foot trap draw shot.” The variety that once defined Tiger’s dominance has given way to strategic simplicity.

His body just sometimes some days doesn’t want to move certain ways,” Shipley explained. The observation carries weight from someone who spent 18 holes studying Tiger’s every move. After six back surgeries and approaching his 50th birthday, Tiger has adapted his approach entirely.

However, some aspects of Tiger’s game remain untouchable. His short game still mesmerizes playing partners and galleries alike. “Once he got near the greens his touch was insane,” Shipley noted with obvious admiration. “He still has great touch. He has great hands still.”

The Career-Changing Mentorship Impact

The experience marked a pivotal moment for Shipley himself. He entered that Sunday frustrated after shooting 80 on Saturday. Everything changed when his caddie delivered the news about their Tiger pairing. Shipley’s emotions shifted from disappointment to pure excitement almost instantly.

Their conversations throughout the round revealed Tiger’s genuine personality. They discussed Charlie Woods, golf courses, and Tiger’s Stanford experiences. “He’s just a person,” Shipley reflected. “It was really cool to talk with him about a lot of things.”

The pairing proved transformative for Shipley’s career trajectory. He called it a “springboard” that helped propel his professional aspirations forward. The confidence boost from competing alongside his childhood idol translated into immediate results. Since turning professional, Shipley has captured two Korn Ferry Tour victories. He secured five consecutive top-10 finishes. His world ranking climbed to 85th position. Most importantly, he earned full PGA Tour status for the 2026 season.

The mentorship aspect extended beyond golf instruction. Tiger’s approach to managing physical limitations while maintaining competitive excellence provided valuable lessons. Young players rarely get such intimate access to witness legends adapting their games.

Looking ahead, Shipley’s rapid ascension demonstrates the lasting impact of that Masters Sunday. The amateur who once wore head-to-toe Tiger gear as an eight-year-old has transformed into a tour professional. His journey from frustrated Saturday to euphoric Sunday perfectly encapsulates golf’s unpredictable nature.

Tiger Woods is back… hitting balls on a driving range in public view for the first time in months.

It made not sound like news, but it’s hugely consequential when it comes to the 15-time major champion, his legions of fans and his future in pro golf.

Here’s what you need to know.

Tiger Woods spotted on range at Liberty National

First, the goods. This week, Woods is at Liberty National in New Jersey. The course, with views of Manhattan’s skyline just across the river, has hosted multiple PGA Tour events, as well as the 2017 Presidents Cup.

In recent years, it has also hosted the Nexus Cup. The Nexus Cup is an annual luxury amateur golf event. According to the official website, the event is “available to only 18 foursomes, combines two days of team competition with curated gifts, exquisite cuisine, fine wine and more including exciting evening festivities at NEXUS Club New York.”

READ: Tiger Woods risks wrath of Donald Trump and girlfriend Vanessa!

In his role as host, Woods has frequently performed clinics for the lucky attendees at the Nexus Cup in years past. And this year appears to be no different.

On Tuesday, video surfaced of Woods hitting balls on Liberty National’s range. The quick clip shows Woods decked out in blue Sun Day Red golf clothes, hitting what appears to be a full wedge shot.

It also appears that Tiger is swinging without pain, which is significant given his latest surgery in March that has kept him off the golf course ever since — at least when cameras have been rolling.

Check out the clip below.

Why does Tiger’s range session matter?

So why are golf fans desperate to see a glimpse of Woods on the range? That’s simple. They haven’t seen it in a long, long time.

The last time Woods competed against pros in public was his final TGL match of the season in early March. He was expected to make his return to pro golf shortly thereafter, perhaps at the 2025 Masters.

But days after his final TGL match, Woods announced that he’d ruptured his Achilles tendon. The resulting surgery and recovery ended his PGA Tour comeback hopes for 2025.

Pressure Mounts on Tiger Woods as PGA Tour’s Flailing Fall Stretch Tests His Leadership

For the first time in recent memory, the PGA Tour’s fall season is receiving more attention than it usually does. Next week’s Procore Championship, the first of seven FedExCup Fall events, features 10 of the 12 U.S. Ryder Cup players. But don’t be fooled by the temporary noise, as the fall stretch is still in a precarious position, and now, all the pressure is on

Tiger Woods and his new committee to fix it.

The Procore Championship begins September 11 at Silverado Resort, featuring several top players in sharp contrast to last year’s quiet fall season, when stars like Scottie Scheffler stayed home and the leaderboard lacked excitement. This year’s boost comes from Ryder Cup prep, but without lasting changes, the fall season will soon return to its usual low energy, low stakes, and limited fan interest.

READ: How one round of golf with Tiger Woods inspired Scottie Scheffler to become

At this point, Tiger Woods’ new committee, the Future Competition Committee, may be the Tour’s only real hope of turning this stretch into something more meaningful and engaging for both players and fans alike. As Eamon Lynch sharply put it — “Perhaps a long-term solution for this portion of the schedule will emerge from the Tiger Woods-chaired Future Competition Committee that is reviewing the Tour’s business. Let’s hope so, because this ain’t it.” Outside of Ryder Cup prep, most top-50 FedExCup players skip the fall since their spots for next season are secure.

This leaves fans watching lower-ranked players fight to keep their cards, adding to the pressure on Tiger Woods and his committee to revitalize the fall schedule. That vision is now in the hands of the newly formed Future Competition Committee, which is chaired by Tiger Woods and was created by CEO Brian Rolapp on August 20, 2025, roughly 18 days into his tenure.

The nine-member group includes influential Tour players like Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott, partnered with the Strategic Sports Group to redefine “the optimal competitive model that enhances the PGA Tour’s value to fans, players, and partners.” Rolapp’s vision with this committee isn’t just to make small tweaks, but rather significant changes to the tour.

“The goal is not incremental change. The goal is significant change,” he said during the press conference at East Lake, where he announced the big step. The committee, as Rolapp highlighted, will operate on three principles: Parity, Scarcity, and Simplicity. While the tour has achieved competitive parity thanks to the depth of talent, the other two pillars have been sorely lacking. Scarcity was highlighted with the vision of ensuring top players compete together often to keep fans engaged, and simplicity, in better tying together the regular season and postseason. Clearly, neither of these two principles holds for the fall season.

While the committee works behind the scenes to reshape the Tour’s future, this week’s Procore Championship offers a rare glimpse into what a fall event could look like.

Who is teeing it up at the Procore Championship this week?

Ten members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team are set to tee it up at next week’s Procore Championship at Silverado Resort, including big names like Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Sam Burns, to name a few. This unusually stacked field for a fall event comes at the urging of Captain Keegan Bradley, who’s determined to avoid the sluggish start that plagued Team USA during the 2023 Ryder Cup loss in Rome. Bradley emphasized the need for sharper preparation, calling this tournament a crucial final tune-up before the team heads overseas.

However, not everyone is on board. Xander Schauffele, a Ryder Cup automatic qualifier who had a standout 2024 season with two major wins, is notably absent from the field. Schauffele struggled throughout this season and failed to qualify for the Tour Championship, finishing 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings. Asked in August if he planned to play in Napa, he was evasive — “I wouldn’t say there’s an expectation for us to play, but a lot of us do want to play just to stay fresh… I’ll have an even longer break, so we’ll see how that goes.” He, along with Bryson DeChambeau, is the only two members of the team skipping the event this week. Bryson DeChambeau is absent because he is banned from the PGA Tour due to his ties to LIV Golf.