2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville: PGA Betting and Fantasy Preview - Key Stats, Course Breakdown, Tournament Trends, TV Times, and More

September 15, 2026

2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville betting and fantasy golf preview with key stats, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove course breakdown, field analysis, and TV times for this week’s PGA Tour event.

The PGA TOUR heads to Asheville, North Carolina, this week for the inaugural Biltmore Championship at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The tournament features a 132-player field as the FedExCup Fall gets underway. Over the next eight events, players will be competing for their positions in the FedExCup standings, with those inside the top 100 at the conclusion earning full PGA TOUR status for the 2027 season.

The Presidents Cup takes place next week, with the United States facing the International Team at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Illinois. Several players in this week's field will use the Biltmore Championship as a final tune-up before the team event, including U.S. Team members Jacob Bridgeman and Jackson Koivun, along with International Team members Corey Conners, Nico Echavarria, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Ryo Hisatsune, and Nick Taylor.

For those who have followed my work in the past, you know my betting picks are usually included within this article. This year will be a little different, as my official plays will be part of our RotoBaller PGA Premium packages. To get access to my top plays throughout the 2026 season, check out our awesome options now.

Biltmore Championship - Tournament Information

• Dates: September 17th – September 20th, 2026
• Location: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
• Course: The Cliffs at Walnut Cove
• Course Type: Mountain
• Par: 71 (5x 3’s / 9x 4’s / 4x 5’s)
• Length: 7,249 yards
• Format: 72-hole stroke play
• Greens: Bentgrass with Poa Annua
• Fairways: Bentgrass
• Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass
• Water Hazard(s): - (In-Play on 7 Holes)
• Stimpmeter: 12.5 ft.
• Purse/ Winner: $5,000,000 /$900,000
• FedEx Cup Points: 500
• Field: 132 Players
• Cut: Top 65 and Ties – 36 Holes
• Playoff Format: Sudden Death

Biltmore Championship - Course Information

Course Architect:

• Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus (2005)
• Recent Renovations: N/A

Comparable Courses:

• Wilmington Country Club – 2022 BMW Championship – RESULTS
• Caves Valley – 2025 BMW Championship – RESULTS
• TPC Deere Run – John Deere Classic – RESULTS

Designer Link (Jack Nicklaus):

• PGA West (Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course) – Jack Nicklaus (1987) – The American Express
• Muirfield Village Golf Club – Jack Nicklaus (1974) – the Memorial Tournament

Comparable Location (Asheville, North Carolina):

• Quail Hollow Club – Charlotte, North Carolina – 2025 PGA Championship / Truist Championship
• Sedgefield Country Club – Greensboro, North Carolina – Wyndham Championship
• Pinehurst No. 2 – Pinehurst, North Carolina – 2024 U.S. Open
• Harbour Town Golf Links – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – RBC Heritage
• The Dunes Golf and Beach Club – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic

Comparable Yardage (7,249 Yards):

• RBC Heritage – 7,213 Yards – Harbour Town Golf Links
• PGA National Resort (The Champion Course) – 7,223 Yards – Cognizant Classic
• The Renaissance Club – 7,282 Yards – Genesis Scottish Open
• TPC Southwind – 7,288 Yards – FedEx St. Jude Championship

Comparable Greens (Bentgrass with Poa Annua):

• TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) – Bentgrass w/ Poa trivialis overseed .110” – Valero Texas Open
• TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) – Bentgrass / Poa mix .100” – RBC Canadian Open
• Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – Bentgrass / Poa annua .100” – 2026 U.S. Open
• TPC River Highlands – Bentgrass / Poa annua .120” – Travelers Championship
• Detroit Golf Club – Bentgrass / Poa annua .100” – Rocket Classic
• Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course) – Poa annua / bentgrass .110” – Procore Championship

Biltmore Championship - TV Information (ET)

• Round 1: Thursday, September 17th, 2026
  • ESPN+ (PGA TOUR Live) – 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Round 2: Friday, September 18th, 2026
  • ESPN+ (PGA TOUR Live) – 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Round 3: Saturday, September 19th, 2026
  • ESPN+ (PGA TOUR Live) – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
• Round 4: Sunday, September 20th, 2026
  • ESPN+ (PGA TOUR Live) – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Biltmore Championship - Weather

Biltmore Championship - Course/ Tournament History

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a private golf community in Arden, North Carolina, located just south of Asheville near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest. The community was developed in the early 2000s as part of The Cliffs’ collection of luxury mountain and lake communities, with its Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course serving as the centerpiece. The course opened in 2005.

Nicklaus designed the course to work with the natural landscape, taking full advantage of the property’s mountainous terrain. The layout sits between approximately 2,100 and 2,250 feet above sea level, with surrounding ridges forming a natural amphitheater around the course.

The front nine plays through former farmland and more open terrain, while the back nine winds through native woods and along mountain streams. Rather than flattening or reshaping the property, Nicklaus incorporated the existing terrain into the design, creating a layout that prioritizes strategy, precision, and managing elevation changes.

The result is a course that offers a unique challenge compared to the flatter layouts typically found on the PGA TOUR. Long, narrow fairways, smaller green complexes, substantial elevation changes, and several lengthy par 3s will demand accuracy and smart shot placement throughout the round.

The Biltmore Championship Asheville is a brand-new addition to the PGA TOUR schedule, with the inaugural tournament taking place at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove from September 17-20, 2026. The event is part of the FedExCup Fall and is the first PGA TOUR tournament to be held in Asheville in more than 80 years. The Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville serve as co-title sponsors under a four-year agreement that runs through 2029.

While the Biltmore Championship is new, professional golf has a long history in the Asheville area. The Asheville Open was first contested in the early 1920s and became an official PGA TOUR event from 1939 through 1942. The tournament was known as the Asheville Land of the Sky Open during its final years, with World Golf Hall of Famer Ben Hogan winning the event three consecutive times from 1940 through 1942.

The 2026 Biltmore Championship represents the PGA TOUR's return to Asheville after an 84-year absence. It also marks the seventh all-time PGA TOUR event held in the city, giving the inaugural tournament an immediate place in Western North Carolina golf history.

Previous Tournament Venues:

Previous Tournament Names:

Biltmore Championship - Course Guide/ Scorecard

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that offers a unique test for the PGA TOUR field at the inaugural Biltmore Championship. The course will play as a 7,249-yard, par-71 layout and is set against the mountains of Western North Carolina. Rather than trying to flatten the property, Nicklaus incorporated the natural terrain into the design, creating a course defined by elevation changes, strategic positioning and constantly changing sightlines.

Walnut Cove features a mix of long, narrow fairways, wooded corridors, streams and significant elevation changes. The front nine moves through more open terrain and former farmland, while the back nine winds through native woodlands and mountain terrain. The elevation changes can make club selection particularly difficult, with uphill and downhill shots requiring players to carefully account for how the ball will react once it reaches the green.

The course also places a premium on accuracy off the tee. While several of the longer holes will reward players who can generate plenty of distance, simply hitting the driver as far as possible will not always be the best strategy. Players will need to find the proper portions of the fairway to create favorable angles into the greens, while errant drives can leave difficult recovery shots from the rough or surrounding native areas.

The par 3s could be particularly challenging for the field, with several holes requiring long-iron or hybrid approaches. Combined with smaller green complexes and substantial elevation changes, players will need to control both distance and trajectory to consistently find the putting surface. The par 5s should provide opportunities for the longer hitters, creating a potential advantage for players who can combine distance with accuracy off the tee.

Overall, Walnut Cove should place a premium on well-rounded ball striking rather than any one individual skill. Players who can drive the ball accurately, handle longer approach shots, and manage the elevation changes should have an advantage. With the PGA TOUR playing the layout for the first time, adaptability and course management could be just as important as raw statistical performance.

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium PGA DFS and Betting subscription? Check out the recent big winner below! Show your support for Patrick by using discount code GATOR to save 50% on any PGA Premium Pass, this week only. Gain full access to all Premium articles, DFS and betting tools, Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, and weekly picks from proven winners!

GAIN FULL ACCESS HERE

Wyndham Clark wins the U.S. Open!

We also cash Tommy Fleetwood Top 20 and Hatton over Morikawa. https://t.co/OSIle5hYsW pic.twitter.com/ozw4lAxGiI

— Gator Sports Betting (@GatorBetting) June 21, 2026

The King of DFS did it again in R3 Showdown. @draftmasterflex pic.twitter.com/NojMJ9uJp8

— RotoBaller PGA (@RotoBallerPGA) March 8, 2026

It’s always fun to hit an outright, especially when it’s over 100/1 and with a player that has a story like Gary Woodland!

Catch my @Novig picks FREE every week @RotoBaller 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RDWt2asRnA

— Joe Nicely (@JoeNicely) March 29, 2026

Featured/ Signature Hole(s): 18

Biltmore Championship - Key Statistics

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass/ Poa Annua)

Fairways Gained

Good Drives Gained

Par 3 Scoring/ Par 3 Scoring: 200-225 Yards

Par 4 Scoring/ Par 4 Scoring: 451-500 Yards

Par 5 Scoring: 500-550 Yards

Bogey Avoidance

Birdies or Better %

Proximity Gained: 200+ Yards

Comparable Courses and Event History

Biltmore Championship - The Field

The 2026 Biltmore Championship features a 132-player field, with 24 of the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking set to tee it up at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The field also includes several players who will compete at next week’s Presidents Cup, including U.S. Team members Jacob Bridgeman and Jackson Koivun, along with International Team members Corey Conners, Nico Echavarria, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Ryo Hisatsune and Nick Taylor.

Basis of qualification for each entrant this week:

• Winners of the Arnold Palmer, Memorial, Genesis (Last 3 Years )
• Tournament Winner in Past Two Seasons
• Top 70 on Prior Years FedExCup Points List
• Top 100 on prior season FedExCup Fall Points List
• Sponsors Exemptions - Unrestricted
• Open Qualifying
• Leading 10 players (not otherwise exempt) on DP World Tour
• Top 20 Prior Season Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• Top 5 from PGA TOUR Q-School
• PGA TOUR University
• Top 10 and Ties from the Previous Event
• Top 100 (Medical)
• 101-110 prior season FedExCup Fall Points List
• Major Medical Extension
• Reorder for 111-125/300 Career Cuts
• Minor Medical Extension
• Reorder Category - Cat. 37 thru 44.

Debutants in the Field (Event):

• New PGA TOUR event

Exemptions:

• Carson Bertagnole: Sponsors Exemptions - Unrestricted
• Tyler Jones: Sponsors Exemptions - Unrestricted
• Brendan Valdes: Sponsors Exemptions - Unrestricted
• Tyler Watts: Sponsors Exemptions - Unrestricted

• N/A

Notable Withdraws/ Changes:

• K.H. Lee (WD), Ryan Brehm (IN)
• Justin Thomas (WD), Cameron Champ (IN)
• SY Noh (WD), Henrik Norlander (IN)

Biltmore Championship - The Odds

Here’s a breakdown of the top players in the field for this year’s Biltmore Championship at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, ranked by current betting odds (via DraftKings). The table below details each player’s five most recent finishes on the PGA Tour. My top plays of the week are included in the PGA Premium package.

Best of luck, and as always, you can find me on X @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting!

More PGA Analysis and Picks

Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team:

If you read my articles @RotoBaller or listen to @TheTurnGolfPod I’ve been telling y’all it was #WinningSeason when golf came back! Shoutout to the entire @RotoBallerPGA squad and all you guys that support my work for all the ❤️ pic.twitter.com/07a4ynvbSU

— Joe Nicely (@JoeNicely) June 28, 2020

Congrats @tenndolly2 ???

Thanks for being a @RotoBaller PGA DFS Premium subscriber & checking out all the amazing golf content that @JoeNicely produces every week! https://t.co/tHKZVsPbbt

— RotoBaller PGA (@RotoBallerPGA) August 10, 2020