Jacob Bridgeman shot a torrid round of 61 to win the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville for his second title of the year Sunday in Asheville, N.C.
On a day ripe for low scores at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Bridgeman completed a 17-under-par weekend (rounds of 64 and 61) to finish at 26-under 258. He birdied four of his final six holes to notch a two-stroke win over Ben James, who also posted a 10-under 61 Sunday.
Bridgeman, 26, won the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, a signature event that marked his first PGA Tour title.
Neal Shipley, who led after the second and third rounds, fell short in his quest for his first PGA Tour win after shooting a 2-under 69. He tied for third at 23 under with Ricky Castillo (65).
The new tournament was the opener of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall series, which helps determine status for the following season. Bridgeman, who finished the season top-50 in the points race, was already safe and qualified for all signature events next year. But James is projected to jump from No. 108 to 66 and Castillo from No. 69 to 56.
Finishing in the top 100 guarantees a player will earn or keep his tour card, and finishing in the 51-60 range gets a player into the first two signature events of 2027.
Early in the day, J.T. Poston fired an 11-under 60 and missed a 26 1/2-foot birdie at his final hole that would have given him a 59. Poston charged into a tie for fifth at 21 under with Jackson Koivun (65), a rookie who’ll compete for the U.S. in the Presidents Cup this coming week.
