The PGA Tour was supposed to mark a triumphant return to Asheville for the first time in more than 80 years. Instead, the inaugural Biltmore Championship has barely got underway, and the weather has already made sure this homecoming isn’t going exactly as planned.
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Thursday’s opening round did not even begin as scheduled. Valley fog pushed the first tee times back by 30 minutes, and now things have taken an unexpected turn, with the PGA Tour deciding that Preferred lies will be in effect for all four rounds at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
The PGA Tour Communications posted the update on its official account on X, stating, “Due to heavy rainfall and high temperatures in Western North Carolina, creating challenging agronomic conditions during the final phases of tour preparation, preferred lies will be in effect for all four rounds at Biltmore Championship Asheville-PGA Tour Rules Committee.”
To understand the controversy, we first need to understand the concept of preferred lies. Preferred lies are a temporary local rule that allows golfers to lift, clean, and place their balls within a specified distance without penalty when they come to rest in a closely mown area.
Tour officials generally use the rule when course conditions make poor lies an unusually significant factor. It can prevent players from being punished by mud or damaged turf. And that is where the debate begins.
Preferred lies have always been one of those rules that can frustrate both sides. Fans often see the rule as taking away part of the challenge, while players have argued that a perfect stroke should not turn into a disaster simply because mud sends the ball in an unexpected direction. That was part of the argument made by Tommy Fleetwood when preferred lies were used during the 2025 Tour Championship.
Asked about the muddy conditions at East Lake, Fleetwood said, “Yeah, yeah. It would be unfair if we were playing the ball as it lies just with the softness and the mud that’s been on the ball.”
Moreover, the PGA Tour has already made a small change to the rule for 2026. Instead of allowing players to move the ball up to one club length, the new version limits the relief to the length of a standard scorecard. PGA Tour winner Michael Kim actually welcomed the changes.
So, preferred lies is not new; what makes the Biltmore Championship decision unusual is the timing and the scope. The rule was put in place for all four rounds before the first round had even been completed. That is why the decision has drawn scrutiny online.
However, the weather forecast offers some context for the Tour’s concern. Temperatures are expected to rise into the upper 80s on Thursday with high humidity and a chance of thunderstorms later in the day. Combined with the recent showers, those conditions present another challenge for a course that’s already dealing with soft turf.
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course measuring 7,249 yards and playing to a par 71. It is hosting a PGA Tour event for the first time since the Asheville Land of Sky Open ended its run in 1942, making the Biltmore Championship a long-awaited return for professional golf in the area.
The Biltmore Championship opens the FedExCup Fall, the eight-event stretch that gives players an opportunity to improve their positions ahead of the 2027 season. The event also carries a $5 million prize fund, while tournament winners this year receive two-year exemptions.
This year, 132 players compete through Sunday, with Jacob Bridgeman as the tournament’s top-ranked golfer. Moreover, Jackson Koivun, Corey Conners, and Nick Taylor are tuning up for the Presidents Cup. Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover are both fighting to stay inside the FedEx top 100, which raises the stakes even higher. Now, how the Championship works out remains to be seen.