Updated Sept. 19, 2026, 3:09 p.m.
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The Biltmore Championship Asheville has moved to the weekend. It was an early start to Saturday’s third round due to inclement weather in the forecast at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in North Carolina, where Neal Shipley is the leader by one at 21 under with 18 holes to go. Ben Kohles is right on his heels, though, sitting at 20 under after carding a 65 on Saturday. Both players are seeking their first career PGA Tour win and the $900,000 paycheck that would come with it. See leaderboard updates, highlights and more from the third round of the 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville. 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville leaderboard See every score posted in Asheville with the 2026 Biltmore Championship leaderboard. Here’s what it looked like at the top when play concluded Saturday:
Position Player Score Thru 1 Neal Shipley -21 F 2 Ben Kohles -20 F T3 Eric Cole -17 F T3 Ricky Castillo -17 F T5 Jacob Bridgeman -16 F T5 Max Greyserman -16 F T7 Haotong Li -15 F T7 Jackson Koivun -15 F T7 Marco Penge -15 F T7 Seamus Power -15 F Neal Shipley cards 65, takes solo lead into final round Neal Shipley fired a bogey-free, 6-under 65 in Saturday’s third round of the Biltmore Championship Asheville and will take a one-shot lead into the final day.
Shipley got his day started with a birdie at the first and added three more throughout the day, plus an eagle at the par-5 15th. The 25-year-old rookie struggled in his first full season on Tour, missing all but eight cuts in 20 starts, but he has a chance to break through as a first-time winner Sunday in Asheville. Ben Kohles birdies final hole, stays within 1 of lead Ben Kohles nearly walked off with a hole-out eagle on No. 18 Saturday at the Biltmore, but it lipped out. Still, it’s a tap-in birdie for Kohles, who remains within 1 of Neal Shipley’s lead entering the final day. Neal Shipley makes eagle, takes 2-shot lead Neal Shipley regains solo lead at Biltmore Championship Neal Shipley and Ben Kohles have been battling it out at the top of the leaderboard all day in Asheville, and Shipley regained the solo lead with this birdie at the 13th.
Jackson Koivun climbs leaderboard with 63 Saturday in Asheville Young superstar Jackson Koivun fired an 8-under 63 on Saturday at the Biltmore Championship Asheville to put himself in contention with 18 holes to go. He’s 15 under for the tournament and sat in a tie for 5th when he finished his round. Koivun, who will represent the U.S. at the Presidents Cup next week, is seeking his second PGA Tour victory in just his seventh start as a pro. Haotong Li fires 61, surges into top 5 China’s Haotong Li made 10 birdies and eight pars en route to a 61 early Saturday, surging into the top five on the leaderboard.
Jackson Koivun is making a move Jackson Koivun was recently named the Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year, the first golfer ever to win the award and the first Auburn Tiger to do so since Jackson in 1986. Next week, the new kid on the block will be under the bright lights at Medinah No.
3 in Chicago, the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2013 to be 21 years old or younger to be competing for the U.S. in the Presidents Cup. But this week he’s got his attention focused on Asheville and after rounds of 68 and 67 to open the tournament, Koivun looks intent on being in the mix for the first Biltmore title.
He opened Saturday’s round with four birdies in his first nine holes and as of 11 a.m. ET, he’s just five shots off the lead at 11 under. Amateur Watts makes the cut Tyler Watts isn’t new to the PGA Tour, but he’s still learning how to be a professional. At only 18 years old, the Tennessee men’s golf freshman shot 4-under par 138 in his first two rounds at the Biltmore Championship Asheville.
But even after a strong second round 4-under 67 on Sept. 18, Watts felt he left something out on the course. “It was a grind. I didn’t hit it great, and then I went through stretches where I would putt it good and putt it bad. So it was all right,” Watts told Knox News. “I definitely wish I did play better, but I’m happy with the two days of results.”
Watts is tied for 46th and made the cut by two shots and will be the only amateur left in the field for the final two rounds of the tournament. — Stephen Thompson, USA TODAY Network
2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville tee times See all the tee times and groupings for Saturday’s third round. What’s the weather forecast for Saturday in Asheville?
Once again, late rains could roll in, which is why tee times were moved up on Saturday. Where is the Biltmore Championship Asheville being played? The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Asheville, North Carolina, is the host venue. The golf course is a par 72 and measures 7,249 yards. It was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2005.
This is the first PGA Tour event in the area since 1942. Field, prize money for 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville The PGA Tour golfers in the field are vying for a $900,000 first-place prize out of a $5 million total prize fund. What are the hole locations?
Here are the pin placements for the third round:
What does the trophy for the Biltmore Championship Asheville look like? The trophy was designed by Aubrey Vanderbilt Cecil Baliles, founder of the jeweler Avermore and great-great-granddaughter of George and Edith Vanderbilt of the famed Biltmore Estate. The trophy was created in partnership with Biltmore, Explore Asheville, Avermore and Marthaler Jewelers. Why are they playing preferred lies? In an unprecedented move, the Tour announced on Thursday that this week’s event would have preferred lies for all four days. From the PGA Tour Rules Committee:
Due to heavy rainfall and high temperatures in Western North Carolina creating challenging agronomic conditions during the final phases of tournament preparation, preferred lies will be in effect all four rounds at the Biltmore Championship Asheville.
What is the FedEx Cup Fall series? The FedEx Cup Fall series has great variety in terms of locations and formats. There are eight PGA Tour events, two of them new to the schedule and four of them to be held outside the U.S. After the Biltmore is the 16th Presidents Cup, and then the Fall series resumes.
The winners of the Fall events get a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, an invite to the 2027 Players Championship and the 2027 PGA Championship. Throughout the fall, Tour pros can work to improve their status for 2027, with a spot in the top 100 being the most coveted. Here’s a full look at the fall:
Dates Tournament Location Sept. 17-20 Biltmore Championship Asheville Asheville, North Carolina Sept. 24-27 Presidents Cup Chicago Oct.
1-4 Bank of Utah Championship Ivins, Utah Oct. 8-11 Baycurrent Classic Yokohama, Japan Oct. 22-25 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Southampton, Bermuda Nov. 28-1 VidantaWorld Mexico Open Vallarta, Mexico Nov.
5-8 World Wide Technology Championship Los Cabos, Mexico Nov. 12-15 Austin Championship Austin, Texas Nov. 19-22 The RSM Classic St. Simons Island, Georgia
