Max Greyserman and Eric Cole, both Americans, surged to the top of the leaderboard on day one of the Biltmore Championship. This 5 million USD event marks the kickoff of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour’s fall series.
The duo each carded impressive 7-under-par 64s in Thursday’s opening round at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a par-71 layout in Asheville, North Carolina.
Greyserman and Cole edged out a pack of contenders, including Chris Kirk of the U.S. and Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes, by a single stroke to claim the early lead.
While Greyserman has held onto his PGA Tour card for the past two seasons, his FedEx Cup ranking plummeted to 103rd following his appearance at the Wyndham Championship in August. This decline has put his tour status for next year in jeopardy.
To secure his spot on next year’s PGA Tour, Greyserman needs to claw his way back into the top 100 of the FedEx Cup rankings.
Cole, on the other hand, has already locked up his tour card for next season by finishing in the top 50 of the FedEx Cup standings. However, he’s gunning for a win to gain entry into the tour’s most prestigious events.
The inaugural Biltmore Championship serves as the curtain-raiser for the fall series, which comprises eight tournaments. Notably, no Korean players are in the field this week.
Seung-Yul Noh, who was initially slated to compete here, opted instead for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, which boasts a 1.5 million USD purse.
Noh made the most of his decision, firing an 8-under 63 in the opening round to share the lead with Thailand’s Piyawat Srisang.
Currently sitting at 49th in the Korn Ferry Tour rankings, Noh has a shot at securing his PGA Tour card for next year if he can climb into the top 20 by season’s end.