Asheville's First PGA Tour Event in 84 Years Bets on Recovery
By Staff Writer
2 min read
Key takeaways
- The Biltmore Championship Asheville is the PGA Tour's first event in the city in 84 years.
- It is played at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a Jack Nicklaus design that opened in 2005.
- The field is nearly 130 players competing for a $5 million purse.
- The event opens an eight-tournament FedEx Cup Fall schedule that sets 2027 PGA Tour eligibility.
- The Tour and co-sponsors Biltmore and Explore Asheville struck a four-year, $2.4 million agreement to host it.
The PGA Tour returned to Asheville, North Carolina, for the first time in 84 years this week with the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville, a sold-out, four-day event at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in nearby Arden.
What is the Biltmore Championship Asheville?
The tournament opened Sept. 18 with a field of nearly 130 players competing for a $5 million purse and a custom gold-and-silver trophy. It is the first of eight events on the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which runs after the Tour Championship and determines eligibility for the 2027 PGA Tour season. North Carolina natives J.T. Poston and Webb Simpson are among the players in the field.
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2005, hosted the tournament's debut round without the fog delay that pushed back the opening day's start.
Why did the PGA Tour choose Asheville?
The event was secured through a four-year, $2.4 million agreement between the PGA Tour and co-sponsors Biltmore, operator of the Biltmore Estate and Biltmore House, and Explore Asheville, the region's tourism authority. Explore Asheville expected more than 10,000 guests over the sold-out weekend, including more than 2,000 out-of-state visitors, with over 1,100 volunteers registered to help stage the event.
Asheville's return to the PGA Tour after 84 years arrives as much as an economic play as a golf event.
How does the tournament tie into hurricane recovery?
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein attended the second round and framed the tournament as part of Western North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene, which struck the region as a tropical storm in the fall of 2024. Stein pointed to encouraging taxable sales figures in 2026 compared with before the storm, though he said Buncombe County employment has not fully rebounded and that there's a lot more work to do.
Asheville's unemployment rate stood at 3.3% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What happens next?
The Biltmore Championship Asheville continues through the weekend before the FedEx Cup Fall schedule moves to its next stop, with organizers targeting a return to The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in future years under the multi-year sponsorship agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Biltmore Championship Asheville played?
The tournament is held at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden, North Carolina, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course that opened in 2005.
How long is the PGA Tour committed to Asheville?
The Tour and co-sponsors Biltmore and Explore Asheville signed a four-year agreement worth $2.4 million to host the event.
What is the purse for the Biltmore Championship Asheville?
The tournament carries a $5 million purse and awards a custom gold-and-silver trophy to the winner.
Where does the event fit on the PGA Tour calendar?
It is the first of eight events in the FedEx Cup Fall Series, which is played after the Tour Championship and sets eligibility for the following PGA Tour season.
- biltmore championship asheville
- the cliffs at walnut cove
- fedex cup fall
- pga tour schedule
- jack nicklaus design
- hurricane helene recovery
- j.t. poston
- webb simpson
