The inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville kicks off Thursday at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, where Jacob Bridgeman, J.T. Poston, and Ryo Hisatsune headline this week’s PGA Tour betting picks and value predictions.
Biltmore Championship Asheville Picks
Date: Thursday, September 17 – Sunday, September 20, 2026
Course: The Cliffs at Walnut Cove
Location: Asheville, NC
Purse: $5 million
Broadcast: GOLF Channel / ESPN
The Inaugural Biltmore Championship: A Historic Return
For the first time since 1942, the PGA Tour returns to Asheville. Eighty-four years ago, Ben Hogan won the last of three straight Asheville Opens. This week, a full field of PGA Tour professionals will tee it up at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove for the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville, part of the FedExCup Fall series. The Blue Ridge Mountains will serve as the backdrop for a $5 million purse and a chance for players outside the top of the FedExCup standings to build momentum heading into the off-season.
The field is stronger than a typical FedEx Fall event because three U.S. Presidents Cup players — Justin Thomas, Jacob Bridgeman, and Jackson Koivun — are using this week as a tune-up before the Presidents Cup at Medinah the following week. That elevates the level of competition and creates a top of the leaderboard with real star power.
Course Analysis
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a new PGA Tour venue, meaning nobody in the field has course history to draw from. That levels the playing field somewhat and puts a premium on players who can adjust quickly to unfamiliar layouts. As a mountain course in the Asheville area, expect elevation changes, tricky green complexes, and a shot-making emphasis rather than pure length off the tee. The stats that matter most this week will be strokes gained approach and strokes gained tee-to-green, since players who can hit their spots on the greens and manage the course will have the edge.
Odds and Value Picks
With no course history to lean on, this week’s picks are based on current form, ball-striking metrics, and the ability to handle new venues quickly. Current PGA Tour betting odds are available at Bovada. Let’s take a look at the top contenders heading into Thursday’s first round:
Winner: Jacob Bridgeman
Bridgeman has the field’s strongest full-season combination of a victory, contention, and scoring. He won the Genesis Invitational earlier this year and has posted five Top 5 finishes and eight Top 10s across the 2026 season. He’s ranked among the top of the field in strokes gained total. As a Presidents Cup player tuning up for Medinah, he’ll be focused and sharp this week. His combination of proven winning form and Presidents Cup pressure makes him the smart pick to win the inaugural Biltmore Championship.
Mid-Range Pick: J.T. Poston
Poston is coming off a Memorial Tournament victory earlier in the year and leads the entire field in world ranking points earned since May 1st with 103.88. That’s a player who has been consistently excellent for the last four months, and he’s the kind of steady scorer who tends to contend at new venues where course-history doesn’t matter. Poston’s approach game and pressure profile are elite. In a fall event where he’ll want to protect his position, expect him to be in the mix on Sunday.
Dark Horse: Ryo Hisatsune
Hisatsune has been quietly one of the field’s steadiest performers all season. He has four Top 10s and six Top 25s in 2026, and he consistently produces solid scoring without generating the headline attention that comes with victories. At a new venue where consistency matters more than star power, Hisatsune is exactly the kind of player who can grind out a four-round score and steal a win at longer odds. Value hunters should have him on their card.
Bottom Line
The inaugural Biltmore Championship represents a fresh start for the fall season and a real opportunity for players to build FedExCup Fall momentum. With three Presidents Cup players in the field and a new venue on tour, this week’s tournament promises to be one of the more competitive fall events on the PGA Tour schedule. Enjoy the return of PGA Tour golf to Asheville and let’s see if Bridgeman can add another trophy to his 2026 season!
