ASHEVILLE, North Carolina — Neal Shipley gave his forgettable rookie season on the PGA Tour a glimmer of hope Friday (Saturday in Manila) when he got off to a torrid start and finished with a 9-under 62, giving him a one-shot lead over Ben Kohles in the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville.
K o h l e s closed the gap in a hurry with an eaglebirdie finish for a 63 as he tries to erase memories of a pair of close calls and chases his first PGA Tour title.
The Biltmore Championship Asheville is the first of eight tournaments in the FedEx Cup Fall that determine the top 100 in the FedEx Cup who keep full cards for next season.
Shipley earned his card off the Korn Ferry Tour, but he has missed 11 cuts in his 19 tournaments this year and is likely headed back to the Korn Ferry Tour unless he turns it around quickly. He is at No. 183 in the FedEx Cup standings.
A victory, of course, would not only give him a two-year exemption, it would secure him for the more lucrative Championship Series in 2028 when the tour revamps its schedule.
A score like this — matched by Ricky Castillo, who was four shots behind in third place — was sorely needed for Shipley.
“I had a great year last year,” Shipley said. “Start of the season wasn’t really what we wanted. Been kind of clawing back to get my game back where it should be. I feel like a lot of that work is finally showing. It’s weird. Golf is one of those sports where you don’t get instant gratification. You got to work for a long time to see results.
“I feel like I’m seeing kind of the fruits of that labor,” he said.
“And really pumped about where we are right now.”