Korn Ferry Tour: Neal Shipley drains 38-foot birdie to claim his first Korn Ferry Tour title in playoff thriller

Neal Shipley drains 38-foot birdie to claim his first Korn Ferry Tour title in playoff thriller

Modified Apr 20, 2025 04:39 GMT

Neal Shipley wins Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic 2025 (Image via Imagn)

On Saturday, April 19, Neal Shipley won the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic on the fifth sudden-death playoff hole against Seungtaek Lee. This was his first win on the Korn Ferry Tour as well as in his professional career.

Shipley entered the final round of the LECOM Suncoast Classic four strokes back but fired a 7-under 64 to take the lead. He was joined by Seungtaek Lee, who shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to force the playoff.

The first four playoff holes on the 18th resulted in ties, until Shipley drained a 38-foot putt to clinch his first-ever Korn Ferry Tour title. The 24-year-old golfer also became the fifth under-30 winner on the Tour this season and the second rookie to win in 2025.

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Hank Lebioda finished at -17 with an eagle on the 14th but failed to add another birdie and ultimately missed out on a playoff spot. Marcelo Rozo made a significant 15-spot surge with a 6-under 65, while Kyle Westmoreland also tied for fourth after carding a 65. Trey Winstead, who had the 54-hole lead, slipped to T4 after a final-round 70.

Shipley came into the spotlight last year after finishing as the low amateur at both the Masters Tournament and the US Open. The Ohio State alum has posted three top-10 finishes in five starts on the PGA Tour Americas and finished 20th in the Fortinet Cup standings.

Saturday’s win will help Neal Shipley strengthen his chances of finishing inside the top 20 in Korn Ferry Tour points to earn a PGA Tour card for the upcoming season.

Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic leaderboard explored feat. Neal Shipley

Here's the leaderboard for the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic (top 25 and ties):

P1. Neal Shipley: -18
P2. Seungtaek Lee: -18
3. Hank Lebioda: -17
T4. Marcelo Rozo: -16
T4. Kyle Westmoreland: -16
T4. Trey Winstead: -16
7. Alistair Docherty: -15
T8. Robby Shelton: -14
T8. Runchanapong Youprayong: -14
T8. Rick Lamb: -14
T8. Trace Crowe: -14
T8. Ryan McCormick: -14
T13. David Kocher: -13
T13. Myles Creighton: -13
T13. Jack Maguire: -13
T13. Tanner Gore: -13
T13. Augusto Núñez: -13
T18. Alvaro Ortiz: -12
T18. Rob Oppenheim: -12
T20. Thomas Walsh: -11
T20. Nelson Ledesma: -11
T20. Austin Smotherman: -11
T20. Johnny Keefer: -11
T20. Michael Johnson: -11
T25. MJ Daffue: -10
T25. Bryce Lewis: -10
T25. Cole Hammer: -10
T25. Josh Teater: -10
T25. Trent Phillips: -10
T25. Austin Hitt: -10
T25. Roger Sloan: -10
T25. Nick Gabrelcik: -10

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti