The field at the Biltmore Championship Asheville was trimmed considerably Friday, with several notable PGA Tour players unable to keep pace during a low-scoring first two rounds at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
The cut settled at 3-under 139 after 36 holes, sending Tony Finau, Denny McCarthy, Joel Dahmen, Beau Hossler and several other recognizable names home before the weekend.
While those players packed their bags, Neal Shipley took control of the tournament with a spectacular second round to reach 15-under.
Finau Among Biggest Names to Miss Cut
Finau faced an uphill climb almost immediately after opening the tournament with a 7-over 78 on Thursday. The six-time PGA Tour winner bounced back with an even-par 71 in the second round, but the improvement wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the damage from his opening 18 holes.
Finau finished at 7-over 149, 10 shots outside the cut line. His difficult opening round ultimately left him with too much ground to make up, even as scoring conditions allowed several players to make significant moves Friday.
McCarthy was another notable casualty. He entered Friday at 2-over following an opening 73 and responded with an even-par 71. His 2-over 144 total left him five shots shy of making the weekend.
Davis Thompson also departed after rounds of 70 and 75. He began Friday at 1-under and within striking distance of the cut, but his 4-over second round dropped him to 3-over 145 for the tournament.
Kevin Kisner was unable to advance either. He followed an opening 74 with a 72 to finish at 4-over 146, seven strokes beyond the number required to play Saturday and Sunday.
Several Players Come Up Just Short
The cut line was particularly painful for a group of players who finished only one stroke away from advancing.
Hossler posted matching rounds of 70 to finish at 2-under 140. Tom Hoge produced the same 70-70 combination, while Aaron Wise went 69-71 and Kevin Streelman recorded rounds of 71 and 69. All four finished at 2-under and missed the cut by a single shot.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout nearly pulled off a comeback after opening with a 2-over 73. He fired a 4-under 67 on Friday, improving by six strokes from his opening round, but his 2-under total still left him on the wrong side of the cut.
Patrick Fishburn made an even bigger charge. After beginning the tournament with a 3-over 74, Fishburn shot a 5-under 66 in Round 2. The eight-shot turnaround moved him to 2-under overall but, like Bezuidenhout, left him one stroke short of surviving.
Dahmen was also close. An opening 69 gave Dahmen some room to work with Friday, but a second-round 72 dropped him to 1-under 141 and two strokes below the cut line.
Taylor Pendrith suffered a similar fate after entering the second round in strong position. He opened with a 3-under 68, which would ultimately prove to be the exact score needed to stay above the cut through 18 holes. He followed it with a 2-over 73, however, finishing at 1-under.
Alejandro Tosti’s Eventful Week Ends Early
Alejandro Tosti’s tournament ended after two rounds following an opening day that attracted attention for reasons beyond his score.
Tosti shot a 1-over 72 on Thursday before returning with an even-par 71 on Friday. His 1-over 143 total left him four shots outside the cut line.
His missed cut came after caddie Cliff Ellis abruptly walked off during Thursday’s round. Video showed the two appearing to exchange words in the 18th fairway before Ellis removed his caddie bib and departed, forcing Tosti to find someone from the gallery to help with his bag.
Other players finishing alongside or near Tosti included Luke List at 1-over after rounds of 74 and 69 and Davis Riley, who went 69-74. Max McGreevy and Luke Clanton finished at 2-over, with Clanton tumbling down the leaderboard after following his opening 69 with a 4-over 75.
Emiliano Grillo was another recognizable player who failed to advance. He started with a 3-under 68 but shot 74 on Friday to finish at even-par 142.
Shipley Takes Command at Biltmore Championship
The struggles of those below the cut stood in sharp contrast to the scoring near the top of the leaderboard.
Shipley followed an opening 6-under 65 with a blistering 9-under 62 on Friday. That put him at 15-under 127 through 36 holes and gave him the outright lead heading into the weekend.
Ben Kohles was right behind him at 14-under after rounds of 65 and 63. Ricky Castillo made one of Friday’s biggest moves, matching Shipley’s 62 to climb to 11-under after opening with a 69. Max Greyserman also reached 11-under following rounds of 64 and 67.
“I had a great year last year,” Shipley said. “Start of the season wasn’t really what we wanted. Been kind of clawing back to get my game back where it should be. I feel like a lot of that work is finally showing. It’s weird. Golf is one of those sports where you don’t get instant gratification. You got to work for a long time to see results.
“I feel like I’m seeing kind of the fruits of that labor,” he said. “And really pumped about where we are right now.”
Biltmore Championship Cut Sends Multiple PGA Tour Veterans Home