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The 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville has reached the final round, with The Cliffs at Walnut Cove producing the birdie fest we anticipated we might see on a sub-7,300-yard par-71 with four very scoreable par-5s. Ten players are on pace to surpass 20-under-par, and we should expect to see even more birdies tomorrow.
Neal Shipley continues to play like this is his week. After going an entire PGA Tour season without posting a finish better than T38, he stands alone atop the leaderboard at 21-under-par. It may be a two-man race between him and Ben Kohles (-20), as no other player is within three strokes of Shipley’s lead.
Looking ahead, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 4 gets underway on Sunday. Conditions have been calm with intermittent gusts thus far, and the course will continue to play soft throughout the week, with preferred lies already in effect for the duration of the tournament. Ahead, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 4 breakout.
Take a look at some of the best pillar players for the 2026 Biltmore Championship Asheville DFS contests and live betting opportunities.
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DraftKings Showdown Golf Strategy
DraftKings Golf Showdown is a one-round Daily Fantasy format in which players aim to construct the best-scoring one-round lineup while staying within the allotted salary cap. To identify value in Golf Showdown, it’s typically best to focus on buy-low opportunities on players who’ve shown uncharacteristically poor putting in the prior round. There is also an opportunity to find leverage by identifying favorable weather splits and players who are more likely to card birdies or better.
Round 4 Biltmore Championship Asheville Showdown Pillar Plays
As expected, ball-striking form and Bentgrass putting skill have prevailed through the opening rounds at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. In true positional course fashion, this is a venue that can be attacked from the fairway by trending wedge players. Furthermore, the presence of five long par-3s and four reachable par-5s has laid out a path for the best long-iron players to separate here. That places a heightened importance on driving accuracy and Proximity: 200+, as the leaders have displayed in the opening round. Looking ahead, it is going to take a combination of driving accuracy, elite long-iron play, and a streaky putter to go low at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
Identifying value players who check each of these boxes can provide valuable bonus points in the DraftKings Showdown format. The three players below will be foundational plays in my Round 4 Showdown lineups for these reasons.
Ben James ($10,600)
Sooner or later, the putts have to fall for Ben James. He’s had no shortage of scoring opportunities through the first three rounds of this tournament, ranking 2nd in SG: T2G, SG: Ball Striking, and SG: OTT. He even ranks 4th in SG: APP. The rookie has wasted no time acclimating to PGA Tour competition, already picking up two top-6 finishes over his first eight career starts.
It is likely too little, too late for James to win this event, heading into the final round at T11 and seven strokes off of Shipley’s lead. That’s okay for DraftKings Showdown purposes, however, as he can still pick up valuable top-5 placement points in the role of chaser on Sunday.
Eric Cole ($10,000)
It’s been yet another vintage Eric Cole performance this week, as he continues to play his best golf on short and easy courses. Cole has leaned on the strength of his putting (2nd SG: Putting) and approach play (22nd SG: Approach), propelling him to T3 on the leaderboard through three rounds at 17-under-par.
Driving is not the strength of Cole’s game, but he’s gotten by well here in Asheville, ranking 15th in Driving Accuracy. If he can continue to play from the fairway on Sunday, he’ll be able to lean on his trending wedge play and putting and put some pressure on the final group.
Gordon Sargent ($6,900)
Sargent did not get the memo that The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a positional venue. The gifted driver ranks 1st for the week in terms of Driving Distance and SG: OTT. It hasn’t been reckless driving for Sargent, though, as he also ranks top-25 in Driving Accuracy. That ability to play from the go-zone with consistency around this course has also contributed to his ranks of 1st in SG: T2G and 3rd in SG: APP.
Much like Neal Shipley, Sargent is a talented player with a decorated collegiate resume who has taken time to acclimate to competition at the PGA Tour level. A 6-week layoff may have been just the type of reset he needed, though, as Sargent is showing signs of his full potential. He is T16 heading into the final round, and his elite ball-striking talents make him a threat to post a low number on Sunday.
Live Bets To Consider Entering Round 3
Tournament Matchup: Max Greyserman over Ben Kohles
Best Available odds: -118
It is familiar territory for Ben Kohles, who once again enters Sunday with a great chance to win on the PGA Tour. All of the other instances have not gone so well for him, however, so I have my concerns about Kohles’ ability to rise to the occasion with the tournament on the line.
Greyserman is no more encouraging of a closer, still in pursuit of his first career PGA Tour win as well. With that said, he’ll be able to play with a bit more freedom in the chaser role, as he enters the final round at 16-under-par and five strokes off the lead. Putting is the strength of Greyserman’s game, and I believe it is sustainable for him to maintain his hot form on the greens for one more round, as he currently ranks 6th in SG: Putting for the tournament.
Top 20 Finisher: Blades Brown
Best Available odds: +345
Brown has been a top-20 machine throughout his early career with six such finishes over his first nine career PGA Tour starts. He has a great chance to add to that streak now, as he enters the final round T32 and just two strokes off the pace for a top-20 finish. Brown is skilled in all facets from tee-to-green, and has a game that travels course to course, regardless of setup.
Best of luck with your Biltmore Championship Asheville DFS lineups and bets!
Photo Credit: REUTERS
