Bridgeman Rallies With a 61 to Win Asheville's First PGA Tour Event Since 1942

Jacob Bridgeman closed the inaugural Biltmore Championship with a bogey-free 61 on Sunday to win at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, ending a PGA Tour absence from Asheville that dated to 1942.

Bridgeman, a former Clemson All-American from Inman, South Carolina, finished at 26-under-par 258 after rounds of 66, 67, 64 and 61. He began the final round five shots behind 54-hole leader Neal Shipley, a former Ohio State All-American, and finished two strokes clear of Ben James, a former Virginia All-American who also shot 61 on Sunday.

A Closing Charge

Bridgeman's final round included eight birdies and an eagle, a 10-footer on the par-5 eighth, and a 30 on the front nine for the second straight day. He credited two par saves, from 13 feet on the 11th and 12 feet on the 12th, as the key to the win. He led the field in strokes gained putting for the week and hit 47 of 52 fairways.

The victory was his second of 2026, after the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, and pushed his earnings for the year past $10 million. He said he especially wanted to win in front of his parents and family. Bridgeman will play for the United States in the Presidents Cup at Medina Country Club near Chicago, which begins Thursday.

Golf Returns to the Mountains

The tournament is the first PGA Tour event in Asheville since 1942, when Ben Hogan won. Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are co-title sponsors under a four-year agreement. Explore Asheville said ahead of the event that preliminary estimates put the local economic impact at up to $10 million, pending a formal study, and the state backed the tournament with a Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund grant.

The week came as Asheville continues recovering from Hurricane Helene, and the area's tourism officials have framed visitor spending as part of that recovery.

Sources: Fox Carolina; Spectrum News; PGA Tour.