Peter Malnati, Neal Shipley in contention at Biltmore Championship Asheville with precious FedExCup Fall points at stake

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – As the FedExCup Fall kicks off at the Biltmore Championship Asheville, there’s more at stake for some than others.

Following the first round, Peter Malnati and Neal Shipley find themselves rightfully in the mix, battling for a spot inside the top 100 in the FedExCup rankings. Coming in at Nos. 169 and 183, respectively, they find themselves with an uphill battle to keep their full-time Tour status.

After firing a 6-under 65 Thursday, Malnati finds himself in a prime position to capitalize on some much-needed points.

“I’ve been working really hard. I took one week off and then had four weeks of grind, and I was feeling awesome about my work. You never know how it’s going to translate from prep to competition,” said Malnati following his first round.

Malnati’s round started hot, going out in a bogey-free, 4-under 31 and kept his card clean until his lone bogey on the 14th hole.

He bounced back quickly with birdies on Nos. 15 and 17, and finished the day with a share of third place.

“I felt pretty nervous when I woke up this morning because it’s been a long time since I’ve not been fully exempt on Tour, and I’m staring at my last seven events as a fully exempt player right now, and I’m not exactly in a strong position,” Malnati said Thursday. “I’m at peace with who I am and how I work, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to still be a full-time PGA Tour player.”

Joining him at T3 is Neal Shipley, who arrived in Asheville from the outside looking in when it comes to his Tour status for the 2027 season.

Shipley finished his round Thursday with a bogey-free 66 to put him right in contention as the week continues.

He played the five par 3s at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in 1-under, a feat that not many other players can say following the first round.

"The par threes are challenging; they're long, and I think that's where most of the teeth in the golf course is. When you miss the greens, the up-and-downs aren't that easy, but you can definitely get a lot of scoring clubs in your hand," Shipley said immediately following his round.

If Shipley hopes to jump back inside that top 100, the consistency he saw in his game this afternoon will have to continue to be a theme.

"A win would take care of that [top 100], and now I'm really focused on trying to win this fall. That is definitely the main goal," said Shipley.

Winning the inaugural Biltmore Championship would certainly solidify a spot inside the top 100 for both Malnati and Shipley, but only one can come out on top come Sunday afternoon.