Neal Shipley enjoyed one heck of a debut in TGL.
The former Ohio State star and current PGA Tour rookie—whose long hair and affable nature have made him popular with fans—joined The Bay Golf Club TGL team for the first time on Monday, and he hit what is among the tech-infused league’s most memorable shots in its one-plus seasons.
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Using a sand wedge for the 110-yard par-3 fifth hole called “Set in Stone,” Shipley initially thought he’d “juiced it” over the green and possibly into the rocks. (He said later that his ball actually struck something above the screen.) But once in the simulator world, the ball flew just past the flag and rolled back into the hole for TGL’s first ace in 27 matches.
The hole-in-one at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., set off a wild celebration for The Bay players, with Shipley tossing his club in the air and teammates Min Woo Lee and Luke Clanton hugging and twirling around him. Clanton, the former amateur World No. 1 and also a tour rookie, was playing in his first TGL event.
Indeed, Clanton—who competed regularly against Shipley while starring at Florida State—was caught on tape, before they played the hole, telling Shipley, “get me a hole-in-one here.”
Shipley was stunned to pull it off.
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“It was pretty sick,” Shipley, 25, said after the match, which The Bay Golf Club won 11-5 over Los Angeles Golf Club. “I knew it was in a foot out. it was amazing and we went bananas.”
Shipley added that he had “promised some folks I’d take my shirt off if I made an ace, but I couldn’t up that promise.” Someone joked that he could still do it. “I don’t think anyone wants to see that,” he responded with a grin.
Shipley and Clanton got their opportunities to play in Monday’s event because Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Shane Lowry were all unavailable because they’re competing in this week’s $20-million signature event at Pebble Beach.
Shipley first got the attention of average golf fans at the 2023 U.S. Amateur, where he reached the final at Cherry Hills before losing to Nick Dunlap. The runner-up finish qualified him for the following year’s Masters and U.S. Open, and he earned low medalist honors in both.
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Shipley then earned his PGA Tour card for this season when he won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025. He’s gotten off to a rough start this year, missing the cut in his first three appearances before tying for 68th in last week’s WM Phoenix Open.
The ace will no doubt salve some of the recent disappiontment. Shipley didn’t seem fazed when it was suggested that he fulfill the usual tradition of buying driniks—this time for the TGL crew of 105.
“I got plenty of cash,” Shipley beamed. “I took a lot off Min a couple of days ago, so we’re ready to go.”
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