Eric Cole Aims for First PGA Tour Victory After Stellar 63 at Colonial

FORT WORTH, Texas — Eric Cole is poised for his first PGA Tour title after an impressive performance, starting strong and concluding with a career-best round that puts him in the lead. Cole achieved a remarkable 7-under 63 during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, securing his first 54-hole lead. He recorded four birdies in his first eight holes, with only one bogey occurring between two birdies on the back nine.

By matching the tournament's best round, Cole now stands at 12-under 198, just one stroke ahead of Ryan Gerard, who finished with a round of 68 that included back-to-back birdies. Meanwhile, Mac Meissner (67) and reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun (68) trail by two strokes. Spaun notably birdied the 15th hole after recovering from two bogeys in his previous three holes, executing a successful shot from a greenside bunker.

The conditions at Hogan’s Alley were notably tougher due to the heat, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit following earlier rain. Cole remarked, “I kind of knew going into it that it was going to be a harder course, firmer conditions. Getting off to that start and realizing how much harder the course was today was great.”

PGA Tour rookie Jordan Smith, who started the day at the top of the leaderboard, struggled significantly, finishing with a 4-over 74, including four bogeys and no birdies. This drop placed him in a tie for 19th after having only one bogey in his first 40 holes of the tournament.

This marks Cole's 120th appearance on the PGA Tour. At 37 years old, he follows in the footsteps of his parents, both former professional golfers. His mother, Laura Baugh, was the LPGA’s rookie of the year in 1973, while his father, Bobby Cole, achieved one PGA Tour victory. Cole will compete for a win on his mother’s 71st birthday, reflecting on his previous experience in final groups. Gerard, who finished strong with a tap-in birdie at the 17th and an approach to 6 feet at the final hole, acknowledged, “Felt like I was just kind of grinding it out pretty hard all day.” Meissner, now living in Dallas after playing at SMU, expressed optimism about his performance despite missing chances for lower scores, saying, “There was a lot of positives.”