After a standout newcomer campaign on the Korn Ferry Tour, Shipley secures his place among golf’s best players and will join the PGA Tour in 2026.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL — Nicklaus Companies is proud to congratulate Jack Nicklaus™ Brand Ambassador Neal Shipley, who has officially earned his PGA Tour card for the 2026 season following an outstanding year on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Outfitted in Jack Nicklaus™ Apparel since his impressive low amateur finishes at the 2024 Masters and U.S. Open, Shipley’s consistency, composure, and competitive fire throughout the 2025 season earned him a spot inside the Top 3 of the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, officially securing his promotion to the PGA Tour to compete with the top players in the world.
The 24-year-old former Ohio State Buckeye captured two victories this season, The Ascendant at TPC Colorado and the LECOM Suncoast Classic at Blue Hills Country Club, while finishing inside the top 10 on multiple occasions. With those wins, Shipley also broke into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings earlier this year, marking another milestone in his rapid rise through the professional ranks.
“It’s been an incredible honor to represent the Jack Nicklaus™ brand from my college days to the pros and now the PGA TOUR,” said Shipley. “The performance, quality, and timeless style of the apparel make it easy to ‘Wear the Bear’ with pride!”
In 2024, while donning the Jack Nicklaus™ Collection at the Masters and U.S. Open, Shipley earned Low Amateur honors at both events, a feat also achieved by fellow Buckeye, Jack Nicklaus, in 1960. Following his progress to the professional ranks, he became an official Jack Nicklaus™ Brand Ambassador through a joint sponsorship with Nicklaus Companies and long-term apparel partner, Perry Ellis International. Throughout his Korn Ferry Tour season, Shipley has worn a combination of Jack Nicklaus™ Black Label and Blue Label apparel collections, displaying performance, comfort, and timeless style on and off the course.
The Jack Nicklaus™ Collections are available online through both Nicklaus Companies and Perry Ellis’s ecommerce sites (shop.nicklaus.com) and (golfapparelshop.com). The Nicklaus lines are also carried at domestic clubs and retailers via the RepSpark B2B platform, as well as at Nicklaus Design golf courses around the world.
About Nicklaus Companies
For decades, the mission of Nicklaus Companies has been to enhance the golf experience and to deliver quality branded products and services on a global basis that reflect the high standards of the company.
The Nicklaus Companies businesses include golf-course design, the development of golf and real estate communities, and the marketing and licensing of lifestyle products and service offerings worldwide under the iconic Jack Nicklaus™, Golden Bear™ and Nicklaus™ brands. Golden Bear™ and Jack Nicklaus™ shops span the world from the U.S. to Europe and throughout Asia. Nicklaus Companies’ branded products range from apparel, headwear, equipment and leather goods to restaurants, beverages and electric vehicles. On the golf course design side, Nicklaus Design, and their team of talented Master Designers, are recognized as the world leader in golf course design and have created over 440 courses worldwide, open for play in 46 countries and 40 U.S states.
Since 1968, Nicklaus-branded courses have hosted over 300 PGA TOUR sanctioned events. In 2007, Jack Nicklaus joined with Howard Milstein to further the growth of the company and expand the branded businesses. In addition to institutionalizing the Nicklaus™ brands for the future, Milstein has instilled a personal philosophy of “A Brand That Gives Back” with products and partners committing to donations to help the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and other charities (Mr. Nicklaus left the company in 2022). A leading entrepreneur in the golf industry, Milstein also created 8AM Golf, a family of companies that also includes GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com, Miura Golf, Club Conex, True Spec Golf, Fairway Jockey, 3’s, T-Squared Social (in partnership with Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake), and Chirp.
All of these companies share a common mission to help players at all levels enjoy the game more. They leverage their winning heritage to achieve excellence, foster growth, and champion social good.
Nicklaus Companies
(561) 227-0300
Nick Noltes, nick.noltes@nicklaus.com
