Jackson Koivun and six other Presidents Cup players use the Biltmore Championship as their final competitive tuneup before next week's showdown at Medinah.
The 2026 Presidents Cup is almost here, but before the pressure shifts to Medinah Country Club, seven players headed to Chicago are getting one final competitive test at the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville.
For U.S. Team members Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman, this week's PGA Tour stop at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove offers an opportunity to sharpen their games before match play begins Sept. 24.
Koivun may attract the most attention.
The 21-year-old rookie earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2026 3M Open, winning by three strokes, and later reached the FedExCup Playoffs.
Although his postseason ended after the FedEx St. Jude Championship, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker still used one of his six captain's picks on Koivun.
That made the former Auburn star the youngest American selected for a Presidents Cup since Jordan Spieth in 2013.
For Koivun, Asheville is less about finding his game than getting reacquainted with tournament pressure.
“It's hard to replicate the feelings of playing a PGA Tour event,” Koivun said. “The best way to do that is to just get back into it.”
Match play shouldn't feel foreign.
Koivun helped the United States win the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point and was part of Auburn's NCAA championship teams in 2024 and 2026.
“Match play is one of my favorite formats,” Koivun said. “It's so exciting playing on a team.”
The International Team has even more Presidents Cup representation in Asheville.
Nico Echavarria, Nick Taylor, Ryo Hisatsune, Corey Conners and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are all competing before joining captain Geoff Ogilvy's team at Medinah.
For Echavarria, who won the 2026 Cognizant Classic in a playoff against Ryan Gerard, preparing mentally has become just as important as preparing physically.
“You're fortunate to be feeling those nerves,” Echavarria said his mental coach has reminded him. “Use it to sharpen the focus.”
Those nerves will only intensify next week.
The Americans enter Medinah having won 10 consecutive Presidents Cups, while the International Team is still searching for its first victory on U.S. soil.
Before that battle begins, Asheville provides one final opportunity to hit meaningful shots, find a rhythm and build confidence.
For seven Presidents Cup players, this isn't simply another PGA Tour tournament.
It's the dress rehearsal for Medinah.
