Historic: Neal Shipley hits first hole-in-one in TGL history
Milestone in the TGL: Neal Shipley scores the first ace in league history in the match against L.A. Watch the video of the historic shot on the 5th hole here.
A significant milestone was reached on Monday in the still young history of the TGL Tech League, which was founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. During the match between the Bay Golf Club and the Los Angeles Golf Club on February 9, 2026, the US American Neal Shipley scored the first ace in the history of the competition. After a total of 27 completed TGL matches, the wait for the ultimate shot in the simulator came to an end.
TGL: Spectacular shot on "Set in Stone"
The history-making moment occurred on hole 5, a Par 3 aptly named "Set in Stone". With a distance of just 110 yards (approx. 100 meters), the hole marked the shortest hole in TGL history to date. Shipley, who was standing in for stars such as Ludvig Åberg and Wyndham Clark, used his 54-degree sand Wedge for a shot that initially seemed almost too long.
The ball landed in the back of the green, but picked up speed due to the massive backspin and the slope of the simulated terrain and rolled straight back into the cup. Loud cheers erupted in the TGL Arena, the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens.
Teammate predicted the ace in the TGL
Particularly curious: Shipley's teammate Luke Clanton seemed to see the moment coming. Over the microphones of the live broadcast, he could clearly be heard asking Shipley immediately before teeing off: "Get me a hole-in-one here." The 25-year-old rookie promptly fulfilled this wish, resulting in one of the most exuberant scenes of jubilation ever seen in the TGL. Shipley flung his Wedge into the air and was literally stormed by his teammates Min Woo Lee and Clanton.
"I knew a foot before the hole that it was going in," a visibly delighted Shipley commented on the shot later in the interview. He also admitted with a grin that he had promised friends beforehand that he would take his shirt off when he hit an ace - a promise he then chose not to keep in front of the TGL cameras.
Sporting breakthrough for the Bay Golf Club
The historic ace was not only a personal success for Shipley, but also a turning point for his team. The Bay Golf Club secured its first win of the season with a final score of 11-5. For Shipley, who already shone as the best amateur at the 2024 Masters (in the third round alongside Tiger Woods) and the U.S. Open, this moment is further proof of his great potential on the big stage.
TGL proves with such highlights that the combination of high-tech simulation and stadium atmosphere excites the fans. With Justin Rose having recently scored the league's first albatross, Shipley's ace is another piece of the puzzle in the growing Traditions of this innovative format.
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Release date
10 Feb 2026
photos
Neil Shipley has hit the first hole-in-one of the Tech League TGL. (Photo: Imago / Icon Sportswire)
