Biltmore Championship Asheville
The Cliffs at Walnut Grove
Ashville, NC
The PGA Tour heads to North Carolina for the first edition of the Biltmore Championship Asheville.
The mini-break on the PGA Tour is over and we're now into the fall season. Unfortunately, we're heading into the fall without the best players as most of them are overseas playing in the BMW PGA Championship. That however is what we've become accustomed to in the fall, we rarely get a look at the best players on the PGA Tour, but if we're lucky, we get some second-tier guys, and maybe once or twice, we get the really big names.
The fall season however isn't for the big names, it's always been a space where the young guys can thrive, or perhaps those that had trouble up against the better players. Sure, the wins in the fall don't carry as much weight, but often times we see golfers that might not be ready for the big stage, get their legs during the fall. A win during the fall can end up meaning a lot to a golfer that struggled during the regular season, not only for status, but for confidence as well. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy to win during the fall, it just seems that way. For anyone that never won on the PGA Tour, you can bet he's sweating down the stretch while in the lead.
As for the fantasy side of things, there isn't as much happening in the fall. Football is in full swing and like everything else, the NFL just kind of consumes everything in its path. There are some options out there though, which is why we keep going during the fall. We know that there are plenty of golf fans out there that can't get enough of this game, so we'll do our best to help you out.
What should we expect this week then? Well, this event falls on an interesting part of the schedule. The PGA Tour has been off for a couple weeks and right as they get going again this week, they'll again take a break next week for the Presidents Cup.
Speaking of the Presidents Cup, we have a handful of guys in the field this week that will be playing in it next week, so that will be something to look for. On American side we have Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman, two of the younger players on Team USA, no doubt wanting to be in good game shape when next week rolls around. There are also a handful on the international side as well, including Taylor Pendrith among others.
This week might get overshadowed by what's on the horizon, but again, for those on a fantasy break until next year, pay attention to who wins and who plays well at these events. You might fall into a sleeper for next season.
From a betting and fantasy perspective, this is a tough one. It's a new event, on a new course and most of these golfers have been off for over a month.
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FAVORITES
All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of 6:30 PM ET Wednesday.
Jackson Koivun (13-1)
Koivun is getting thrown right into the fire. Not only will he have a lot of attention on him as just one of two Presidents Cup members from the US team, but he's also the favorite. Something tells me though that this kid can handle the pressure. Koivun won the 3M Open in late-July and then held his own during the FedEx playoffs. No, he didn't have a high-end finish during the playoffs, but keep in mind that he was going against the best in the world during that stretch. He doesn't have nearly the competition this week that he had in August. With that said however, Koivun likely has some attention on next week's event, so I'm not bullish on him at this price.
Jacob Bridgeman (18-1)
If we're going on accomplishments and form, Bridgeman should be the favorite this week, but I get why Koivun is the favorite as the public will probably be on the "next big thing". Bridgeman however should be more dangerous this week. While Koivun was holding his own, Bridgeman was playing extremely well. Bridgeman finished inside the top-10 at the BMW Championship and 4th at the TOUR Championship. Bridgeman will likely be peeking ahead this week as well, but he's got more experience under his belt than Koivun, so I'd expect him to handle it better.
Davis Thompson (25-1)
Well, it didn't take long to get to some head turners. Thompson failed to make the playoffs this season. I think that says all we need to know about the strength of the field this week. While it was a poor season from Thompson, he did find his way to four top-10s and two of them happened to be at the end of the season, so perhaps he's got some momentum heading into this week. Look, it's a stretch, but this is what we are dealing with this week. We've got a field full of golfers with a lot of flaws, there's no perfect pick this week. As for Thompson, the season was not great, but he's only two years removed from a top-25 season and he does have a win on the PGA Tour. Still, it's not enough for a win bet at this price.
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THE NEXT TIER
Corey Conners (30-1)
As mentioned previously, the fall is for young guys, but it's also for vets that are looking to get back on track. Conners isn't an old vet, but he's been around for a while. One thing is for certain though, he definitely wants to get some momentum this fall, heading into next season. Conners finished the 2025 season inside the top 20 with over $8 million in earnings, but 2026 hasn't been nearly as fruitful. Conners is under $3 million in earnings as we enter the fall season and you can bet that he'll look to build upon that over the next couple months. We don't have an idea about his form right now because we haven't seen him since the middle of August, but we do know that at his best, he's better than just about anyone in this field.
J.T. Poston (30-1)
Poston is another vet in the field this week, but his motivation is likely to continue his best season on record. Poston has a chance to double his career-high in earnings if he can bank another $1.3 million this fall. If he keeps up the form he's shown for much of the 2026 season, he has a chance to hit or exceed that number. Poston made the majority of his money this season at the Memorial, where he earned $4 million for his victory. Outside of that win, there weren't a ton of highlights, but a win like that can sometimes throw off the rest of a golfer's season. He had a rough patch in June-July, but he started to pull out of it late in the season.
Marco Penge (30-1)
Penge came into the 2026 season with a lot of hype and it's safe to say he didn't live up to it. I wouldn't call his season a disaster, but considering the expectations, it was pretty rough. The fall however, offers a chance to put that all behind him. Penge had just one top-5 this season in the states as he saved his best play for overseas, but there's no denying he has a load of talent. If he can figure out the game in the states, perhaps he can salvage a disappointing 2026 season. It's a stretch for sure, but stranger things have happened in the fall. All we can do is try to find guys with upside and Penge certainly qualifies.
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LONG SHOTS
Ricky Castillo (60-1)
Castillo is a mashup of all the players mentioned already. He's a young guy looking to make his mark. He's also trying to build upon a good season, all the while trying to regain the momentum that he lost from earlier this year. He certainly has every reason to tee it up this week. Castillo picked up his first PGA Tour win earlier this year at the Puerto Rico Open and like many young golfers that get their first win, he struggled in the months after. It wasn't for lack of trying though as he played 14 more events after his win, but failed to crack the top 10 in any of them. On the bright side, he did make the cut in 13-of-14 events, but he never found the magic again. Castillo is just 25 years old however, so he's still learning how to succeed out here. Maybe with this time off, he's put his win into perspective and he's ready for more success.
Nico Echavarria (60-1)
If you grew up in the 80s, you're probably familiar with a show named, "The Fall Guy". There was a movie made a few years back with the same name and that came to mind when I saw Echavarria's name in the field because, well, he's pretty darn good in the fall. Echavarria won the ZOZO Championship in the fall of 2024, but that's just part of his success in the fall over the years. Echavarria has made a habit of playing well against weak fields and this week certainly qualifies. His form at the end of the season was pretty good as he posted top-15s in two of his final three starts in August. You're always looking for guys that know how to win on the PGA Tour and Echavarria qualifies as he's done it three times in his career.
ONE-AND-DONE LEAGUES
Highly-Chosen Pick: Jackson Koivun – If you're playing a one and done in the fall, the first thing you have to realize it that's a lot different than the regular season. The main difference is that unlike the regular season, there's no saving the big guns for later. You might not get another chance at a top-tier guy, so if he's in the field, and this is important as well, he's motivated, then go for it. Koivun might not be entirely focused on this event, but he is certainly motivated to play well this week in advance of the Presidents Cup next week. As for his schedule after this event, who knows, he might play a lot or we might not see much of his after this week.
Moderately-Chosen Pick: Jacob Bridgeman – He might not be as popular this week, only because Koivun is the hot guy right now, but Bridgeman is probably the better play. How much will we see him the rest of the way? If he wins this week, who knows, maybe he shuts it down, having accomplished so much this season. Bridgeman will also be looking to get ready for next week, but he's also trying to build on what's been a great season. I have a feeling that he gets in contention and tries to add another win to the resume this week.
Lightly-Chosen Pick: Nico Echavarria – Echavarria will fly under the radar this week because he hasn't done much over the past few months, but as I mentioned earlier, he has a way of bringing his best when the competition isn't that strong. No matter how this season ends, Echavarria has already put up a career best earnings number, but something tells me he'll be looking to bolster that earnings number in the fall.
Buyer Beware: Davis Thompson – I should forewarn you that this pick is going to be difficult every week during the fall because it's hard to find someone worthy of such a designation. By that I mean, this spot is generally reserved for a big name, you know, someone that the public might be all over, but in a field like this, which such few big names, it's tough to find anyone that qualifies. Thompson is not a big name, but he is the 3rd-favorite this week, so in that sense he qualifies. I'd be weary of him this week if for no other reason than I had him on my fantasy team all year and he never popped at all. He had a couple decent finishes, but nothing great and he hasn't teed it up since early August.
View the PGA earnings report to find total winnings and winnings per entry via our fantasy golf stats pages.
FANDUEL PICKS
Upper Range: Jacob Bridgeman ($11,900)
Middle Range: Corey Conners ($10,900)
Lower Range: Nico Echavarria ($9,000)
