01가을 시리즈 막 올리는 빌트모어 챔피언십… 신예 코이분·더그 김 우승 도전
미국프로골프(PGA) 투어 2026시즌 페덱스컵 폴(FedExCup Fall) 시리즈의 출발을 알리는 신설 대회 '빌트모어 챔피언십 애슈빌'이 노스캐롤라이나주 더 클리프스 앳 월넛 코브에서 막을 올린다. 잭 니클라우스가 설계한 이 코스는 파71, 7,249야드 규모로 블루리지 산맥의 고지대(해발 2,500피트)에 위치해 있다. 내년 시즌 투어 카드 유지와 시그니처 대회 출전권을 결정짓는 8개 가을 시리즈 중 첫 번째 대회인 만큼, 출전 선수 132명의 뜨거운 경쟁이 예상된다.
스포츠북 배당률에 따르면 이번 대회 가장 강력한 우승 후보로는 21세 신예 잭슨 코이분(+1500)이 꼽혔다. 지난 7월 3M 오픈에서 우승을 차지하며 2년 시드를 확보한 코이분은 다가오는 프레지던츠컵 미국팀 단장 추천 선수로도 이름을 올렸다. 가을 시리즈를 통해 2027년 초반 2개 시그니처 대회 출전권을 확정 짓겠다는 목표를 세운 코이분은 탁월한 퍼팅감을 앞세워 우승 후보 1순위다운 기량을 펼칠 전망이다.
지난 2월 제네시스 인비테이셔널에서 로리 매킬로이를 꺾고 정상에 올랐던 제이콥 브리지먼(+1800)과 2024년 존디어 클래식 우승자 데이비스 톰슨(+2500)도 유력한 우승 후보군에 포함됐다. 또한 통산 191번째 출전에서 투어 첫 승을 노리는 재미교포 더그 김(+2500)은 티투그린 및 오프더티 부문 투어 최상위권의 안정된 샷감을 발판 삼아 강력한 우승 대항마로 떠올랐다.
이외에도 프레지던츠컵 인터내셔널팀으로 출전하는 샷의 정석 코리 코너스(+3000)를 비롯해 DP 월드투어 통산 5승의 라스무스 회고르(+2700), PGA 투어 유니버시티 랭킹 1위 출신 벤 제임스(+2700) 등 정상급 선수들이 대거 참가해 페덱스컵 폴 첫 왕좌를 놓고 다툰다.
02Original (English) — PGA TOUR
Autumn officially arrives in the Northern Hemisphere on Sept. 22, 2026, but the FedExCup Fall on the PGA Tour begins this week with the brand-new Biltmore Championship Asheville in North Carolina. Young gun Jackson Koivun (+1500) sits atop the FanDuel Sportsbook as the favorite in the field of 132 players. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a Jack Nicklaus-designed par-71 (7,249 yards) nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, hosts the first of eight events to determine final eligibility for the 2027 season.
Making his 17th start as a professional and seventh start as a PGA Tour member, the 21-year-old Koivun arrives in North Carolina as the winner of the 3M Open in late July and a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup in two weeks. While his victory in Minnesota secured him a two-year exemption on Tour, his newest goal is to become eligible for the first two Signature Events of 2027 through the FedExCup Fall series.An elite putter, Koivun, plays out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and arrives rested and ready to prove Captain Brandt Snedeker made the right decision by giving him a spot on his squad. In seven previous starts on Tour in 2026, he made the cut six times, and all six paydays were T31 or better.
Jacob Bridgeman (+1800) answered any questions about his intestinal fortitude by knocking off Rory McIlroy at The Riviera Country Club last February to win The Genesis Invitational. A South Carolina native, Bridgeman cranked out five more top-10 paydays in 2026, including a solo ninth place at the BMW Championship followed by a T4 at the season-ending TOUR Championship, his last two events. Leading the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting last season, he also ranked 50th in driving accuracy and SG: Approach the Green. He also ranked eighth in birdie average and will not be afraid to go low.
The top three choices at FanDuel Sportsbook have all previously won on the PGA Tour. Davis Thompson (+2500) won a shootout at the John Deere Classic in the summer of 2024, posting a tournament record of 28-under par. The par-71 layout at The Cliffs features four par 5s and five par 3s and plays 2,500 feet above sea level, suggesting that low scores might rule again this week. Thompson ranks 12th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 11th in bogey avoidance, two excellent metrics if a shootout is on the cards. Doug Ghim (+2500) is the only player of the top four who does not have a PGA Tour trophy on the shelf. The 30-year-old who played his college golf at Texas is making his 191st start and has not cashed outside T31 since late March (T40, Valspar Championship). The veteran ranks in the top 10 in both SG: Off-the-Tee (ninth) and SG: Tee-to-Green (eighth). His best payday in 2026 on his own ball was T6 at the John Deere Classic in July.
Rasmus Højgaard (+2700) and Ben James (+2700) are both in search of their first victory on Tour. Højgaard, the Dane, began 2026 ranked 40th in the OWGR but currently ranks 72nd. He found form in late July with a solo fourth at the Rocket Classic, plus T2 at the Danish Golf Championship two weeks later playing on the DP World Tour. The five-time winner in Europe owns two podium paydays from 60 career starts on the PGA Tour. James, a Virginia native, earned his membership card as the No. 1 player from PGA Tour University in 2026. The seven-time winner at the University of Virginia was the 36-hole leader at the RBC Canadian Open in his first start as a professional in June. He played in the final group at the Corales Puntacana Championship in July and closed with 61 at the Wyndham Championship in his previous start.
The man with the best odds of the five members from Geoff Ogilvy's International Team in the field competing at the Presidents Cup next week in Chicago is Corey Conners (+3000). The 34-year-old ball-striking machine cashed in 19 of 21 events in 2026 but only produced one top-10 result, a T7 at the Travelers Championship in June. A two-time winner on Tour, both at the Valero Texas Open, the Canadian should be eager to prove his pick was a worthy selection. Leaning on a premium ball-striker on unfamiliar greens is not a terrible angle this week.
Other International Team Presidents Cup players in the field:
Here's a look at the odds for the rest of the field at the Biltmore Championship Asheville, with odds via FanDuel:
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