Golf

Shipley leads Biltmore Championship as Aussies make cut

By AAP Newswire

Sep 19, 2026

Golf — Australian golfer Cam Davis has snapped a lean run of missing the cut on the PGA Tour in America. -AAP Image

Australia's Cam Davis and Karl Vilips have made the cut at the PGA Tour event in North Carolina, which for Davis ends a run of six successive missed cuts in America.

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Davis is tied for 38th after he posted an even-par 71 on Friday (Saturday AEST) to go with his first-round 66.

Vilips has registered successive rounds of 68 to be at six-under for the tournament and share 31st place heading into the weekend.

Davis and Vilips are the only Australians in the field at Asheville.

Neal Shipley leads the inaugural Biltmore Championship after firing a career-low 9-under-par 62.

Shipley capitalised on a birdie-birdie-eagle start to his round and rode it to the best score of his young career. The PGA ‌Tour rookie is at 15-under 127 through two rounds, one stroke ahead of Ben Kohles (63).

"Yeah, pumped for the weekend. It's always great to be in this ‌position," Shipley said of his first lead on tour.

"It's what you work really hard for. I've been focused on trying to win this year and we're in a great ‌position to do so."

Ricky Castillo also shot 62 on Friday and jumped into a tie for third with Max Greyserman (67) at 11 under. Eric Cole (68) is alone in fifth at 10 under at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.

The tournament is the opener of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall series, which solidifies playing status for next season for those who did not make the playoffs. The top 100 players at the end of the FedEx Cup Fall series keep their tour cards. Finishing ‌in the 51-to-60 range ‌grants access to the ⁠first two signature events of 2027.

Shipley, for example, was a mere 183rd in the points standings entering this week. A win would grant him a two-year exemption on tour along with rocketing him into the top 75, so he could set his sights on the top-60 target.

Shipley leads the field in both strokes gained putting and scrambling (a perfect 11-for-11) through two bogey-free rounds.

"It's weird. Golf is one of those sports where you don't get instant gratification," the 25-year-old said. "You got to work for a long time to see results.

"I feel like I'm seeing kind of the fruits of that labor, and ⁠really pumped about where we are right now. Had a lot of great experiences ‌in my amateur career and throughout my professional career that have prepared me to be in this situation, so really excited for it."

The cut line fell at 3 under par. Notable players ⁠who failed to make the cut included Beau Hossler (2 under), Tom Hoge (2 under), Joel Dahmen (1 under), Colombians Camilo Villegas (4 over) and Nico Echavarria (6 over) and Tony Finau (7 over).