Shipley finishes second in the Sunnehanna Amateur
By Mike Dudurich • June 17, 2023
WESTMONT – It was one of those afternoons that makes golf such a great one-on-one sport.
In the final round of the Sunnehanna Amateur at Sunnehanna Country Club in suburban Johnstown, it didn’t take long for Jackson VanParis and Neal Shipley to grab the spotlight and drag it around the revered layout the rest of the day.
As it turned out, the battle was a dandy.
It came down to the 18th hole of the final round. Jackson was protecting a one-shot lead with Shipley standing over a 25-foot birdie putt that, had it gone in, the two would have had to battle in extra holes to determine the winner of the 82nd Sunnehanna Amateur.
VanParis stood nervously by as Shipley, a native of St. Clair, lined up the putt. As the ball rolled toward the cup, VanParis leaned in to get a better look as did Shipley.
The putt slid by on the low side and VanParis won the event.
“It was a grind to say the least,” VanParis said. “Neal is a great competitor but he’s an even better person. He was really fun to be around, a genuine nice guy. When you get to play a guy like that, it makes it nice for everybody. You root for each other and when you like the other guy, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
VanParis got off to a slow start in the first round but caught fire in the second, shooting a then-record 61, that included nine birdies and a 29 on the back nine.
“That really got my confidence up,” VanParis said, “I played pretty well after that.”
So did Shipley, who posted rounds of 68-68-66-66 and played in part in the competition as it played out.
“It was great to get here and play well,” Shipley said. “I hit quality shots and competed. I had to try to make that putt on 18 to tie him and force him to make his putt. It was a great experience.”
“On the one at six, I can tell you I had no intention of trying to get at the hole,” VanParis said. “It was 124 yards to carry the bunker in front and that’s exactly how far I hit it. Obviously, a shot like that gets you on the right track.”
Nearly 40 of the 60 players who made the cut in conditions that weren’t ideal Saturday with brisk winds circulating among the ridges in the area.
Andrew Friend (70), Gregor Meyer (72), Tanner Johnson (69) turned in one of the best rounds of the day, whether they made the cut or not, Palmer Jackson (74), Jimmy Ellis (70).
Brady Pevarnik improved his score from 79 yesterday to 73 in Sunday’s round, but still couldn’t escape the basement and finished at 19-over par.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and 34,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.