Top amateur after US Open rules penalty: "Doesn't matter what I think"

Top amateur Neal Shipley has drawn plaudits from golf fans worldwide over how he handled being hit with a one-shot penalty during the third round of the 2024 US Open. 

Shipley was stung with the rules penalty over what happened on the 13th hole at Pinehurst No.2.

The golfer, who impressed at the 2024 Masters, took an aggressive line off the tee at the short par-4. 

He left himself just 54 yards and tried to hit a low spinning wedge to the pin that was tucked on the front right of the green. 

Only Shipley's effort, like many golfers before him, lacked the required juice and his ball rolled off the green. 

From there, Shipley took a few minutes to assess his options. 

He addressed his golf ball with his lob wedge and then stepped off after his ball clearly moved. 

A rules official then entered the scene.

Shipley later signed for a third round of 74 after they reviewed the footage in the scorer's hut. 

It was determined Shipley had fallen foul of Rule 9.4 after causing his ball to move. 

In a statement, the USGA said: 

"In preparing to make the stroke, Neal set the club down behind the ball and then adjusted the club when the ball then moved. 

"Because the ball had been at rest for some time and then moved immediately after he adjusted his club, it is virtually certain that he caused the ball to move.”

Now Shipley has told Golf's Alan Banstable his version of the events. 

"Making the assumption that my club was what caused it to move is a fair assessment," he said. 

"Honestly, I don't think I caused it to move, but it doesn't really matter what I think.

"It's a tough one to swallow."

Shipley then muttered the words that perhaps we should all bear in mind when on the course and stung with an 'unfair' penalty.

"That's golf," he said. "You have to move on."

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