ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Western Carolina University senior Tyler Jones made history Thursday as the first active Catamount golfer to compete in a PGA TOUR event.
“I was fine until they announced my name, then I kind of lost feeling in my legs, so that was great,” Jones said. “But I hit it. It was great. I didn’t miss a ball.”
Jones, 21, teed off at the Biltmore Championship Asheville after receiving a sponsor exemption, a special invitation that allowed him to join a field of 132 golfers, including PGA TOUR professionals.
“I earned it, but I also feel like it’s something I didn’t deserve,” Jones said. “We don’t deserve anything in life. Everything is a cherry on top.”
Jones finished his opening round at even par.
“Jack Nicklaus has a lot of cut holes, and I hit a cut, so I feel very comfortable over a lot of the tee shots,” Jones said. “You have to hit fairways because the rough is really deep, and driving the golf ball is one of my strengths, which is huge.”
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He said the experience felt familiar in some ways to college golf, but the tournament offered a few notable differences.
“The main thing is having your own locker,” Jones said. “I think that’s really cool. I get to leave my clubs here.”
“I get the golf balls I’m playing with on the range, and that’s different. I think it’s really cool,” Jones said. “If you hit a good shot, they clap, and I think that’s really cool. You nod to them, and I think that’s really fun.”
SEPT. 17, 2026 – Western Carolina University senior golfer Tyler Jones, 21, and his crew at Biltmore Championship Asheville. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)
When asked about his favorite part of the experience, Jones said he enjoyed sharing the course with PGA TOUR professionals.
“Seeing all these pros out here, I’m sharing the grounds with some really good golfers and some really unbelievable players,” Jones said.
Jones said he was honored to represent Western Carolina University on one of golf’s biggest stages.
“Just being able to represent the Catamounts at WCU is something I don’t take lightly,” he said. “I’m honored.”
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Western Carolina alumnus J.T. Poston also competed in the tournament.
“We like to fancy ourselves as a golf school,” WCU golf coach Tim Eckberg said. “He’s not the only player we’re going to have coming out of here, so it’s good to have another guy doing his reps and showing what he can do as well. We’re going to keep building from this.”
Eckberg said Jones handled the moment well and has the ability to continue building his golf career.
““Truly, the sky’s the limit. He’s showing it, three wins last year,” Eckberg said. “The kid can flat-out play golf, and if that’s what he wants to do, he’s got a chance to do it.”
Eckberg said Jones received strong support from Western Carolina fans during the opening round.
“He hears ‘Go cats’ all the time, which is a great thing. Obviously, in our backyard, you’re going to hear a ton of it,” Eckberg said. “But we had so much purple following us, and the guys we were playing with today, they’re professionals. We’ve got a big crowd for a Thursday. This is pretty cool. It was really neat to see that.”
Eckberg said Jones proved he could compete against the professional field in his PGA TOUR debut.
“It was just good to see him against these guys and how he stacks up,” Eckberg said. “He’s a good egg. He’s a heck of a player. I have no surprise that he’s out here battling and will have a chance to make the weekend tomorrow.”