Palm Beach Gardens, FL (April 10, 2024)—Walking in the footsteps of the greatest golfer of all time and fellow Buckeye, Ohio State student-athlete Neal Shipley will wear the Golden Bear™ logo while competing this week in the Masters Tournament.
Shipley received an invitation to the Masters following his runner-up finish in the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship at Cherry Hills, the same course where Jack Nicklaus finished runner-up in the U.S. Open as an amateur in 1960.
Shipley will be sporting Jack Nicklaus™ Apparel at the Masters and at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June. The apparel line features the iconic Golden Bear™ logo, established by the six-time Masters winner over 50 years ago. On alternate days at Augusta National, Shipley will wear new outfits from the Jack Nicklaus™ Blue Label and the Jack Nicklaus™ Black Label collections. The apparel will be featured on Perry Ellis’s ecommerce site, golfapparelshop.com, fairwayjockey.com, and the Nicklaus Companies website nicklaus.com.
“It is definitely an honor for me to be an ambassador for Jack Nicklaus™ apparel,” said Shipley while preparing for the Masters in Florida this month. “Jack Nicklaus is the greatest player, and as an Ohio State golfer, it’s pretty cool to imagine that I will be the first golfer to wear the Golden Bear™ at Augusta since Jack himself. I love the Nicklaus collections and will enjoy wearing them on and off the course.”
Shipley joined Ohio State in the 2022 Season as a graduate student, after playing three seasons at James Madison University. He has accumulated many accolades in his young career, including three runner-up finishes in the summer of 2023, a PING All-American Honorable Mention, and a fourth-place finish in the 2023 Elite Amateur Series. In January, Shipley won the individual title at the Southwestern Invitational.
Shipley is 23 years old, the same age as Jack Nicklaus when he won his first Masters in 1963.
The new Spring 2024 Collection for the Blue Label was created by the talented design team at Perry Ellis International, now in its second successful decade with Nicklaus bringing golf-inspired lifestyle apparel to consumers across the country. The Spring/Summer 2024 Jack Nicklaus™ Black Label collection is distributed to international markets stretching from Asia to Europe and is also available on nicklaus.com and at Nicklaus Design™ golf courses.
About Nicklaus Companies
For 50 years, 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 mirror the high standards established in the career and life of its Founder, Jack Nicklaus. The Nicklaus Companies businesses include golf-course design, the development of golf and real estate communities, and the marketing and licensing of lifestyle products worldwide under the iconic Jack Nicklaus and Golden Bear brands. Nicklaus Design, recognized as the world leader in golf course design, has created over 420 courses worldwide, open for play in 45 countries and 40 U.S states. In 2007, Jack Nicklaus partnered 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. 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 and GolfLogix. All share a common mission to help players at all levels enjoy the game more. We leverage our winning heritage to achieve excellence, foster growth and champion social good. We activate modern strategies and techniques to enhance our customer’s lives and match the high standards set in the career and life of Jack Nicklaus.
About Perry Ellis International
Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of a broad line of high quality men’s and women’s apparel, accessories and fragrances. The company’s collections of men’s dress and casual sportswear, golf sportswear, lifestyle men’s sportswear and women’s lifestyle collections are distributed through major retail channels. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized brands,including: Perry Ellis®, An Original Penguin by Munsingwear®,Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Savane®, Grand Slam®, John Henry®, Manhattan®, Axist®, Farah®. Laundry by Shelli Segal® and Rafaella®. The company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike® for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR® and Jack Nicklaus® for golf apparel and accessories. Additional information on the company is available at www.pery.com