Jacob Bridgeman Wins Biltmore Championship with Record 61

Jacob Bridgeman rallied to win the inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville, shooting a career-low, bogey-free 10-under-par 61.

This marks Bridgeman's second win of the year, following his Genesis Invitational victory in February. He started the final day five shots behind leader Neal Shipley.

The 26-year-old from Greenville, S.C., carded a 5-under 30 on the front nine, featuring birdies on three of the first four holes and an eagle on the eighth. He added five birdies on the back nine, including four in a span of five holes from the 13th to the 17th.

Crucial to his win were two key par saves. He sank a 13-footer on the par-3 11th after missing the green. On the 12th, he made a 12-footer following two bunker shots.

“Those putts probably won the tournament for me,” said Bridgeman, who leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting.

“My goal was a hot start to see where I stood, and I just kept the momentum,” Bridgeman added. He earned $900,000. “I felt I gained enough ground by the turn. Then it became a competition among us. I didn’t feel the need to chase anymore.”

Preparation for the Presidents Cup

Bridgeman, set to compete in the Presidents Cup this week in Chicago, posted scores of 66-67-64-61 for a 26-under total at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. He finished two shots ahead of Ben James, who also shot a 61 in the final round.

“I used this week to see if I was ready for next week, and I’m very satisfied with my performance,” Bridgeman stated.

“The first couple of days, I started strong but pushed too hard to gain more ground, making uncharacteristic errors on the back nine due to being overly aggressive.

“The last couple of days, I again got off to a great start. My putting was solid. I felt confident on 15-footers, so I didn't need to attack every pin. I could play it safer, trust my putter, and that proved effective.”

Strong Performance from James

James went out in 29 with four birdies and an eagle. He finished with four more birdies for his 61. This was the 23-year-old rookie's best finish since turning professional in June.

Shipley, who held the 54-hole lead for the first time, could not match Bridgeman and James. After three bogey-free rounds, he made two bogeys on the front nine and his first birdie on the par-5 eighth. He added three birdies on the back nine for a 69, finishing tied for third at 23 under with Ricky Castillo.

Castillo, a winner at the Puerto Rico Open this season, started strongly with birdies on his first two holes followed by an eagle. He added three birdies and one bogey for the remainder of his round, closing with a 65.

J.T. Poston, narrowly missing a 25-foot birdie putt that could have given him a 59, recorded nine birdies and an eagle for a 60, tying for fifth place with Jackson Koivun at 21 under.

Bridgeman Joins Elite Company

Bridgeman became the sixth player this season with multiple wins, joining three-time champions Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler, and Chris Gotterup, as well as two-time winner Cameron Young.

Shipley entered the first of eight FedExCup Fall events ranked 183rd. The FedExCup Fall determines the top 100 players who retain full tour cards for 2027. His tie for third moved him to 135th in the standings.