ASHEVILLE — Jacob Bridgeman's hot start at the Biltmore Championship cooled on his final nine Friday at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Asheville, N.C., where the 2026 U.S. Presidents Cup team member slipped from 10 under through 27 holes to 9 under through 36 holes after struggling on the par-3s. Despite salvaging the day with a trio of birdies, Bridgeman sits six back of Neil Shipley's current clubhouse lead with two rounds left in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Bridgeman looked in the driver's seat early before running into trouble on the front nine — his closing nine. He bogeyed the 246-yard second hole for just his second bogey of the tournament, then dropped another shot at the fifth less than an hour later. The biggest damage came at the course's second-shortest hole, the 194-yard seventh, where he found the right greenside bunker and made a double-bogey 5.
The up-and-down round did not carry over to his playing partners. Jackson Koivun, the tournament favorite and Bridgeman's teammate at Medinah, carded a 4-under 67 with a single blemish at the par-4 12th, his third hole of the day. He answered with birdies on four of his last six holes on his opening nine, then saved par eight times and added one more birdie on his final nine to sit eight back of Shipley. Webb Simpson, the local favorite and 2012 U.S. Open winner, posted the best round of the trio with a 5-under 66 to move comfortably over the projected cut line, his lone bogey also coming at the 205-yard fifth.
Simpson secured his weekend spot while Bridgeman and Koivun remain in chase position heading into the weekend. With threatening weather in the forecast, tournament officials have adjusted TV times and tee times for Round 3 of the Biltmore Championship Asheville.