The PGA TOUR is back in Asheville for the first time since 1942 with the inaugural Biltmore Championship, which opens the FedExCup Fall. A four-year agreement keeps the event in the area through 2029.
The field includes 24 players inside the top 100 of the world rankings, led by Jacob Bridgeman (No. 28) and J.T. Poston (No. 37). Seven of them are using the week as a final tune-up before the Presidents Cup at Medinah: Bridgeman and Jackson Koivun for the U.S., and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Corey Conners, Nico Echavarria, Ryo Hisatsune and Nick Taylor for the International Team.
Marco Penge, Tony Finau, Rasmus Hojgaard and Denny McCarthy add depth to a field with 59 TOUR winners and 134 combined victories.
The host course, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened in 2005. It sits in a Blue Ridge valley more than 2,000 feet above sea level, bordered by the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest.
It will play as a 7,249-yard par 71 with two distinct halves. The front nine rolls across former farmland, where bunkers create risk-reward choices off the tee. The back nine moves into woodland and follows mountain streams. Water is in play on seven holes, including the par-5 12th, where a creek crosses the fairway, and the par-4 7th, the hardest hole on the card, with a green that wraps around the property's largest pond.
The course isn't long by TOUR standards, but its elevation changes, uneven lies, and small, heavily contoured bent/Poa greens should put a premium on precision. Superintendent Steve Shand has grown the Kentucky bluegrass rough to nearly six inches, so missed fairways will be costly.
The unusual layout has five par 3s, all expected to measure over 200 yards, which will test long irons. The four par 5s average about 545 yards and should be key birdie chances. Players who drive it straight, control their approaches, and score on the par 5s should be the ones to watch.
Outright Bets
Davis Thompson +2600
Davis Thompson's irons are as sharp as anyone's in the field, and he ranks 1st in SG: Approach over his last 24 rounds. I loved the way he closed out 2026, with a T8 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a T7 at the 3M Open, and a T14 at the Wyndham.
I keep coming back to his 2024 John Deere Classic win, the first of his career. That track demanded the same kind of scoring we'll see this week. This week is a great spot for DT to get his second career win on Tour.
J.T. Poston +3100
J.T. Poston's win at Jack's Place this June at Muirfield Village, with a layout as demanding as any on TOUR, was one of the more underrated storylines of 2026. He's already shown he can win against elite competition and get red-hot with the putter.
Against a weaker fall field, on a Nicklaus design close to home, this number looks far too long. It's a great spot for the North Carolina native.
Billy Horschel +5500
I love everything about Billy Horschel, and after a rough 2026, he's coming into this stretch with something to prove. He closed the year in form, with three straight top-15 finishes dating back to the RBC Canadian Open.
In a weak field, Horschel has the game to contend, and once he's there, he knows how to close.
Chris Kirk +6200
I've got a nice history with Chris Kirk, having cashed on him at both The Sentry and the Honda Classic. He's a fairway finder, which matters a lot with nearly six inches of rough this week, and he's sharp with his short irons.
The putter has been a real struggle for him in 2026, but the fall is a fresh start, and when the flat stick heats up, Kirk can go on a run with anyone. This one's a pure history play for me.
