Awkward moment Masters star Neal Shipley is asked about Tiger Woods ‘passing him a note’ on live TV as he becomes a meme

MASTERS star Neal Shipley has become a meme after being awkwardly questioned about an interaction with Tiger Woods on the course.

The young man had an unforgettable Masters, finishing as the highest-ranked amateur.

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He even played his fourth round on Sunday alongside legend Woods and revealed he received plenty of advice and encouragement from the five-time champion.

Shipley, 22, said he had a “dream week” at made the cut in his first major and discussed his favorite golf courses with Woods.

But he also had an awkward moment in his post-round press conference when he was asked about a note Woods allegedly gave him on the eighth fairway.

Shipley paused before denying the claim, saying, “No, he didn’t. No, it didn’t happen.”

Fans found the interaction amusing, as Shipley suddenly seemed a little nervous, with some suggesting he remained silent out of loyalty to Woods.

One fan reacted by saying, “This response just left this guy with Tiger forever…”

Another added: “Translation… is none of your business.”

And a third wrote: “It looks so bizarre.”

Others edited the clip to make the awkward scene even funnier, with one fan joking that Shipley “has become a meme.”

To make things even stranger, the press conference ended as soon as Shipley finished his response, sparking even more conspiracy theories.

Shipley is a college star from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is early in his career.

He finished 12-over par and tied for 53rd place after shooting a final-round 73 — four better than Woods, who finished at 16-over.

Shipley qualified for the Masters by finishing second at the 2023 US Amateur.

He has three wins in his amateur career to date.

They took place at the 2022 Western Pennsylvania Open Champion and Pennsylvania Amateur Championship, and the 2024 Southwestern Invitational.

Shipley transferred from James Madison University to Ohio State, where he still studies.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in quantitative finance from James Madison and also a master’s degree in data analytics from Ohio State.

And he became the first Ohio State Buckeye to win as an amateur at the Masters since Jack Nicklaus.