Amanda Balionis shares special message as Pittsburgh’s Neal Shipley joins PGA Tour

Neal Shipley created waves in the golf community recently with his latest accomplishment. Having secured a card for the PGA Tour's 2026 season, he earned the support of Amanda Balionis and several other fans.

The CBS Sports reporter reposted Golf.com's Instagram post of the Ohio State University star smoking a cigar to celebrate the milestone. Balionis' caption was simple yet bold.

As she and the professional golfer both hail from Pittsburgh, Amanda Balionis stated that Shipley's achievement was yet another 'dub' for the area. She also referred to the Pittsburgh Steelers' incredible victory on Sunday that resulted in a 23 to 9 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Here's a look at the NFL sideline reporter's caption of her Instagram Story (via Instagram @balionis):

"A couple of dubs for Pittsburgh today."

Here's a look at Amanda Balionis' post celebrating Neal Shipley and the Pittsburgh Steelers' victories (via Instagram @balionis):

Amanda Balionis reacts to Neal Shipley's latest milestone (Image via Instagram @balionis)

Neal Shipley was one of the 20 professional golfers who earned their cards for the PGA Tour's 2026 season via the Korn Ferry Tour's Points List. He placed 4th on the list following the conclusion of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour.

What's in Neal Shipley's bag going into the PGA Tour?

As the 24-year-old prepares to step into the PGA Tour with a full card next year, he has quite an arsenal equipped in his golf bag. Here's a look at Neal Shipley's golf equipment (via GolfWrx and Today's Golfer):

Driver

Clubhead - PING G440 LST (9 degrees set at 7.5 degrees)
Shaft - Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X (45 inches, tipped 1 inch)

3-Wood

Clubhead - PING G430 LST 3-Wood (15 degrees set at 13.5 degrees)
Shaft - Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

3-Wood (alternate)

Clubhead - Titleist TSR3 3-Wood (13.5 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft - Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

5-Wood

Clubhead - PING G440 Max 5-Wood (19 degrees set at 17.5 degrees)
Shaft - Fujikura Ventus TR Black 8 X

Irons

Clubhead - PING i230 3-Iron
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Clubhead - PING Blueprint S irons (4-Iron to 5-Iron)
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Clubhead - PING Blueprint T Irons (6-Iron to 9-Iron0
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges

Clubhead - PING S159 (46 degrees - 12 degree bounce)
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400

Clubhead - PING S159 (50 degrees - 12 degree bounce)
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400

Clubhead - PING S159 (54 degrees - 12 degree bounce)
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400

Clubhead - PING S159 (60 degrees - 08 degree bounce)
Shaft - True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400

Putter

Clubhead - PING PLD Anser Putter (copper finish)

Golf Ball

Golf Ball - Titleist Pro V1x

Grips

Grips - Golf Pride ZGrip Cord

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in Florida, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

Know More

Edited by Lathika Krishna