Neal Shipley’s debut will not soon be forgotten. The 25-year-old Ohio State product recorded the first hole-in-one in league history and secured the victory with a birdie at No. 14 as The Bay Golf Club picked up its first win of the season with an 11-5 result over Los Angeles Monday at SoFi Center.

This was effectively a must-win for The Bay after a 0-2 start, but they’re back in the postseason mix and have a chance at getting into the top four by season’s end. The same goes for Los Angeles, which falls to 1-2-0.

Key moments

Coming up aces: Luke Clanton called it walking back from the green alongside Shipley.

“Give me a hole-in-one here. Please,” Clanton said to his teammate.

Moments later, Clanton was draped over Shipley’s shoulders like a backpack, celebrating the first ace in TGL history. Shipley got it done at the 110-yard par-3 fifth, "Set in Stone" – the shortest hole ever played at SoFi Center. The 2024 Masters low amateur hit a soaring shot with a wedge that landed on the back fringe and spun into the hole. Teammates, fans and even the opponents got in on the celebration, with Los Angeles handing out high-fives for the newcomer. Safe to say Shipley’s debut is going to be tough to top.

Paying the toll: Min Woo Lee showed off some serious trajectory skills at the "Last Toll," a new par 3 for TGL that’s seen just one player hit the green prior to Monday. Lee struck a baby draw through bridge columns inside 9 feet. It was a 211-yard, 7-iron for those keeping track at home. Clanton made sure it didn’t go to waste and drained the putt to give The Bay a 1-0 lead to set the tone for the rest of the match.

Victory lap: TGL alternate Chris Gotterup has had a stellar season so far with Atlanta Drive GC, and he took the show on the road last week with a win at the WM Phoenix Open. A two-time PGA TOUR winner already this season, Gotterup called into the TGL broadcast Monday and said the extra swings at SoFi Center certainly haven’t hurt.

“I put in a lot of hard work this offseason and (moved) down to Florida to try to be ready to go and be around some of the best players in the game,” Gotterup said. “Obviously, a little bit of TGL helps as well, to hit some shots under pressure in the arena.”

It’s the second straight week a TGL player has been victorious on the PGA TOUR, following Justin Rose’s victory at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Triples

The Bay capped a strong session with a win and point at No. 9 to go up 5-3 and steal the momentum back from LAGC.

Trailing 4-0, Los Angeles cut the deficit in half with an early Hammer throw after tee shots at the par-4 sixth, "Straight Up." The Bay made a mess of the hole and eventually conceded to make it 4-2. LAGC picked up another point at the seventh when Tommy Fleetwood hit a perfect tee shot at "Stinger," flighting a driver just barely above the ground to get under the overhanging rock.

Shipley sent SoFi Center into a frenzy with an ace at the par-3 fifth, "Set in Stone," playing just 110 yards. Shipley took advantage and gave The Bay a 4-0 lead with one swing of the club.

The Bay discussed a potential Hammer throw at the third, "The Last Toll," with Clanton standing over a 9-foot birdie putt. They opted to keep it in their pocket and Clanton made the putt to get The Bay on the board first with a 1-0 lead.

The Bay let the Hammer fly on the next hole, "Bay Breaker," where they held home court on their Team Hole and picked up two points to go ahead 3-0.

Singles

With an ace already in the books, Shipley called game at the 14th when he drilled a 16-footer for birdie worth two points to make it 9-5 and secure a crucial victory for The Bay. The team also won the last hole with the Hammer in play to make the final 11-5.

Clanton stepped up in his TGL debut with an eagle at the 10th and the Hammer in play, earning two points to top Tony Finau and give The Bay a 7-3 lead with five holes to play. He later saved a point with a huge 10-foot birdie make for a tie at No. 13.

Fleetwood responded to the eagle with a win and point at "Cut the Sails" to bring Los Angeles within three points with four to play.

Sahith Theegala kept the momentum with a great tee shot at the par 3 "Cenote," prompting a Hammer throw from LAGC. The Bay declined as Los Angeles cut the deficit to 7-5.

What they said

The Bay Golf Club: “This is different than any hole-in-one I’ve ever had before. This is amazing. Wow. This is so cool.” – Neal Shipley following the first ace in TGL history.

Los Angeles Golf Club: “It was great being back with the boys. Thought the atmosphere was great, Tony set the crowd off in the right way ... We just couldn’t quite build any momentum. It felt like we were always on the back foot and any time we did something right, we couldn’t quite get over that hurdle.” – Tommy Fleetwood

Next up

TGL returns with a doubleheader on Monday, Feb. 23, when Atlanta Drive GC and Boston Common Golf kick things off at 5 p.m. ET. Los Angeles is back at it in the nightcap, taking on Atlanta at 9 p.m. ET.

The Bay heads back to SoFi Center the following night for a Feb. 24 doubleheader. They take on New York in the opening match at 5 p.m. ET, followed by Boston vs. New York at 9 p.m. ET.