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FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MAY 30: Eric Cole of the United States plays a shot on the fifth hole during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge 2026 at Colonial Country Club on May 30, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Stacy Revere\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
FORT WORTH \u2014\u00a0After two days of yielding low scores in the Charles Schwab Challenge<\/a>, Colonial Country Club showed more of its teeth in Saturday\u2019s third round.<\/p>\n Nobody handled the changing conditions better than Eric Cole, a 37-year-old journeyman who knows something about persistence.<\/p>\n Cole shot the low round of the tournament and his low round of the season, a 63, for a 54-hole score of 12-under-par and a one-shot lead going into Sunday\u2019s final round.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great day,\u2019\u2019 Cole said. \u201cEverything was working well. I knew going in it was going to be a harder course with firmer conditions<\/a>. I just kept trying to hit good shots one after the next and make birdies when I could.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n He made eight birdies, four on each side, and one bogey, on No. 15. Cole quickly made amends for the hiccup, chipping in for birdie on the next hole.<\/p>\n Less than a third of the field managed to break par because of more heat and wind and firmer, less receptive greens. While most were sliding down the\u00a0leaderboard, Cole was vaulting two dozen players.<\/p>\n Other than needing only 24 putts, it was not an impressive statistical round for Cole. He was 50% in driving accuracy and hit 13 greens in regulation. But his short-game scrambling kept his round going. The chip-in birdie at No. 16 came from 27 feet, the ball circling the cup before dropping.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Cole, No. 117 in the World Ranking, gained notoriety by winning the\u00a0PGA Rookie of the Year award in 2023 at age 35. The late-bloomer is the son of professional golfing parents Laura Baugh and Bobby Cole. Eric turned pro in 2009 and had a long, testing wait before gaining PGA Tour status. The Florida resident is playing in the Challenge for the fourth time, and his best previous finish is a tie for 28th in 2025. His father played the event seven times.<\/p>\n One shot behind the leader in second place at 11 under is Ryan Gerard, who birdied his final two holes.<\/p>\n “I’m happy I did that, but I think that’s not something I’m going to dwell on,” said Gerard, who leads the field in strokes gained putting. “I’m excited about the finish, but it’s an expectation to finish rounds strong and kind of run through that finish line, you don’t ever want to be just limping across.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n