CROMWELL, Conn. — Eric Cole plays his shot from the first tee during the third round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 24, 2023. | Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Eric Cole is a rising star on the PGA Tour and his actions in Pittsburgh may bring him more notoriety.
Eric Cole is a baller, both on and off the golf course.
Following the Travelers Championship, where he tied for 24th, Cole drove eight hours from Connecticut to Pittsburgh to play in the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational, a 72-hole tournament at Pittsburgh Field Club.
He won the tournament by nine shots and received $20,000, a far cry from the millions won each week on the PGA Tour.
But Cole, who has won almost $3 million on tour this season, donated his winnings back to the Fuhrer family to donate to charity.
“It’s something that fits the theme of what Mr. Fuhrer did with his life as far as generosity and charitable giving,” Cole said to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “It’s not really about the money for me. It’s about being here.”
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Eric Cole of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the final round of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 18, 2023.
Cole set the course record and won the tournament by nine shots, the largest margin of victory in the tournament’s history, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Along with having a heart of gold, Cole can clearly play.
He has spent the last few years playing on mini-tours and the Korn Ferry Tour. He finally earned his PGA Tour card at the 2022 Korn Ferry Championship.
Now the 35-year-old is in the running for the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.
Cole has made 16 cuts this season and almost won the Honda Classic in February. But he lost to Chris Kirk in a playoff at PGA National.
He also has two top-tens to his name, as he tied for 5th at the Mexico Open in April and 6th at the RBC Canadian Open in June.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
