Neal Shipley will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the inaugural 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville, with the PGA Tour rookie positioned to claim his first title at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden, North Carolina. Shipley is 21 under par after three rounds, including a sizzling 62 on Friday, and will begin Sunday’s decisive round at 9:55 a.m. ET alongside Ben Kohles and Eric Cole.
Shipley’s surge comes after a difficult rookie season in which he missed nine of his first 10 cuts and made only eight cuts overall. He entered the FedEx Cup Fall at No. 183, but a victory would dramatically change his outlook, securing a two-year PGA Tour exemption and a place in the 2028 Championship Series. The 25-year-old former U.S. Amateur runner-up is seeking to convert his first 54-hole lead into a breakthrough win.
Kohles, 36, trails by one at 20 under and will be chasing his first PGA Tour victory after years of near misses. His most recent opportunity came at the John Deere Classic, where he led by one with one hole remaining before finding the water on the 72nd hole and ultimately losing to Chris Gotterup. Cole is part of the final group after reaching 17 under, while Ricky Castillo is also at 17 under. Jacob Bridgeman and Max Greyserman sit at 16 under, with Haotong Li, Jackson Koivun, Seamus Power and Marco Penge another shot back at 15 under.
The final-round schedule was moved up because of thunderstorms, creating an early finish-line sprint among a crowded group of contenders. Shipley, Kohles and Cole will tee off from the first hole at 9:55 a.m., while the leading challengers will follow in groups immediately ahead. The champion will receive $900,000 from the tournament purse, with the runner-up earning $545,000.