ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Neal Shipley held onto a one-shot lead over Ben Kohles on Saturday at the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville, delivering his third straight bogey-free round to reach 21-under 192 at The Cliffs at Walnut Grove. Shipley made an eagle and a birdie on the two back-nine par 5s to stay in front heading into the final round.
Shipley hit a 227-yard approach to 7 1/2 feet to set up eagle on the par-5 15th, added a birdie on the par-5 18th and closed with a par for his latest bogey-free effort. The PGA Tour rookie opened with a 65 and shot 62 on Friday. "Just going to keep doing what I'm doing," Shipley said. "Keep being me and keep having fun out there. Keep that mindset of going out there, chasing birdies, and trying to get it as low as possible tomorrow."
Kohles matched Shipley with a 65 while playing alongside him in the final threesome, eagling the par-5 third and birdieing three of the last four holes as he chases his first PGA Tour title. "Happy with the day," Kohles said. "Played solid. Took advantage of par 5s, which like I said yesterday, is something you got to do out here on this course." Eric Cole (64) and Ricky Castillo (65) were tied for third at 17 under, while Jacob Bridgeman (64) and Max Greyserman (66) were at 16 under. Jackson Koivun, the 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie, rose 13 spots with a bogey-free 63 on Moving Day.
The event is the first of eight tournaments in the FedEx Cup Fall that determine the top 100 in the FedEx Cup who keep full cards for next season. Shipley entered the week 183rd in the standings, and a victory would give him a two-year exemption and secure him for the more lucrative Championship Series in 2028 when the tour revamps its schedule. "It would be huge," Shipley said. "It would take a lot of stress off my back, that's for sure. It's one of those things I'm playing really well and I know it's a matter of time for me, so I'm going to give it my best shot tomorrow and lay it all out there and see what happens." Tee times were moved up and players were grouped in threes Saturday because of the possibility of late afternoon storms. Bridgeman, who stumbled on par-3s after a hot start, bounced back to join Greyserman at 16 under.