Neal Shipley fired a career-low 9-under-par 62 and vaulted into the lead at the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville on Friday in Asheville, N.C.
Shipley capitalized on a birdie-birdie-eagle start to his round and rode it to the best score of his young career. The PGA Tour rookie is at 15-under 127 through two rounds, one stroke ahead of Ben Kohles (63).
“Yeah, pumped for the weekend. It’s always great to be in this position,” Shipley said of his first lead on tour. “It’s what you work really hard for. I’ve been focused on trying to win this year and we’re in a great position to do so.”
Ricky Castillo also shot 62 Friday and jumped into a tie for third with Max Greyserman (67) at 11 under. Eric Cole (68) is alone in fifth at 10 under at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
The tournament is the opener of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall series, which solidifies playing status for next season for those who did not make the playoffs. The top 100 players at the end of the FedEx Cup Fall series keep their tour cards. Finishing in the 51-to-60 range grants access to the first two signature events of 2027.
Shipley, for example, was a mere 183rd in the points standings entering this week. A win would grant him a two-year exemption on tour along with rocketing him into the top 75, so he could set his sights on the top-60 target.
Shipley leads the field in both strokes gained putting and scrambling (a perfect 11-for-11) through two bogey-free rounds.
“It’s weird. Golf is one of those sports where you don’t get instant gratification,” the 25-year-old said. “You got to work for a long time to see results.
“I feel like I’m seeing kind of the fruits of that labor, and really pumped about where we are right now. Had a lot of great experiences in my amateur career and throughout my professional career that have prepared me to be in this situation, so really excited for it.”
Kohles, No. 96 in the FedEx Cup race entering the week, finished his round eagle-birdie to cut into Shipley’s sizeable lead at the time. Like Shipley, he’s hunting for his first PGA Tour win.
“Great chance,” Kohles said of his weekend outlook. “I mean, keep putting myself in these positions. That’s all I can ask for. We work so hard to get in these spots, so I feel like I’ve learned a lot the last few months with a couple close calls and getting a win on the Korn Ferry Tour.
“So I know I can do it; it’s just a matter of going out and doing it. So we’ll see what the weekend has in store.”
Castillo forged his 62 by keeping a clean card and making two eagles three holes apart. He holed out from 168 yards away at the par-4 sixth, then knocked his approach at the par-5 eighth to 2 1/2 feet and kicked in the eagle putt.
“I hit a really good drive,” Castillo said of No. 8. “Hit it way down there. I only had 185 in and hit an 8-iron to about a foot and a half, two feet. Those two holes, it made them feel pretty easy just having — holing out for eagle and a tap-in eagle on the eighth.”
The cut line fell at 3 under par. Notable players who failed to make the cut included Beau Hossler (2 under), Tom Hoge (2 under), Joel Dahmen (1 under), Colombians Camilo Villegas (4 over) and Nico Echavarria (6 over) and Tony Finau (7 over).
–Field Level Media
