Neal Shipley surged to the halfway lead at the 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville after firing a 10-under 62 on Friday at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The 25-year-old moved to 15 under for 36 holes, one shot ahead of Ben Kohles, with Ricky Castillo and another player tied for third at 11 under. Shipley, a PGA Tour rookie who earned his card after finishing inside the top 20 on last year’s Korn Ferry Tour points list, opened with rounds of 65 and 62. He will play alongside Kohles and Castillo at 9:45 a.m. ET in Saturday’s third round.
The tournament also featured an unusual caddie change involving Alejandro Tosti. Cliff Ellis stopped carrying Tosti’s bag midway through the first round after the pair argued near the 18th green, according to reports from Golfweek and Golf Channel. Ellis reportedly left the bag in the fairway, removed his caddie bib and walked away. Tosti finished with a 1-over 72, using a fan from the gallery to carry his bag for the back nine, and was 1 over through seven holes of Friday’s second round with Patrick Talledo serving as his replacement. At that point, Tosti remained four shots outside the projected cut line.
Saturday’s Biltmore action begins at 7:33 a.m. ET, with Shipley’s leading group scheduled for 9:45 a.m. NBC will televise the third round from noon to 12:30 p.m., followed by Golf Channel coverage until 3 p.m. The tournament is being played at the same time as the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach, where course changes have prompted significant strategic discussion ahead of next summer’s U.S. Open.
The removal of a diseased tree on Pebble Beach’s par-4 16th has opened the right side of the hole and given longer hitters the option of taking a more aggressive line. Ryan Armour said players were considering hitting driver and “just sending it,” while Ernie Els warned that advancing equipment technology could undermine the course’s traditional strategy. “With the ball flying this far, this golf course is going to get hurt,” Els said. Zach Johnson, however, said the hole’s integrity had not changed significantly, noting that he and Armour still chose to lay up during the tournament.