Eric Cole delivered an absolutely sensational round at the Charles Schwab Challenge, catapulting himself to the top of the leaderboard. With an insane 7-under 63 in the third round, he stands at an unbelievable 12-under 198, snatching the 54-hole lead. The guy, who has 120 PGA TOUR starts under his belt and is still waiting for his first victory, is on the verge of a major breakthrough.
Marathon on the Green
Cole turned professional in 2009 and has racked up over 50 mini-tour victories. But the big breakthrough on the PGA TOUR? That's still pending. This is already the sixth time he has held a 54-hole lead since starting on the Tour in 2021. And the timing couldn't be more emotional: he aims to clinch the win on his mother Laura Baugh's 71st birthday, which falls on Sunday. What a story unfolding here!
Thrills in “Hogan's Alley”
At the iconic Colonial Country Club, affectionately known as “Hogan's Alley,” where conditions are hot and the greens are getting firmer, the action was intense. Cole started tied for 25th and five shots behind the lead but then carded four birdies on the first eight holes and two more by the 11th. A bogey on the back nine couldn't truly stop his powerful display.
Ryan Gerard is just one shot back, with Mac Meissner and J.J. Spaun lurking two shots behind. And Hideki Matsuyama could still be a game-changer with a late move. With a prize purse of 1.7 million US dollars and 500 FedExCup points for the winner, it's still anyone's game. The final round is already underway, and the tension is palpable!
