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Eric Cole was at 5-under after playing 14 holes on the first day of the 2023 PGA Championship, a great start for the 34-year-old PGA Tour rookie who is still in search of his first win.
Cole was born in a golfers family as his father is Bobby Cole, former PGA Tour, and British Amateur winner. His mother Laura Baugh is also a former LPGA professional and 1971 U.S. Women's Amateur winner.
Cole was inspired by his parents and aspired to become a golfer like them one day. However, his aspirations met with a little bump in 2006, He was just a 17-year-old Nova Southeastern University freshman when he got to know that he was suffering from type 1 diabetes and Addison’s disease.
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Addison's disease is an adrenal disorder that can hinder growth as the body doesn't make enough of specific hormones. Eric Cole came to know about it when he started losing weight. He lost almost 120 pounds in his freshman year where he won Freshman of the Year.
After leaving college in 2008, Cole started playing on the Minor League Golf Tour in South Florida and won more than 50 professional titles there but that wasn't enough. A goal to play at the topmost level was still there.
Cole started playing on Korn Ferry Tour in 2017. After playing there for several years he finished tied for third in the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Championship, earning him his first PGA Tour card, an emotional moment for Cole after losing his brother Michael John in May last year.
Cole began his rookie campaign with four back-to-back missed cuts but then went on to make it to the weekend of the next five events. His best performance came at the Honda Classic in February where he lost to Chris Kirk in the playoff.
Eric Cole has missed nine cuts in his first season on PGA Tour but had four top-25 finishes as well. Apart from a runner-up finish at Palm Beach Gardens, he finished T23 at the recently concluded AT&T Byron Nelson. Cole also ended up tied for fifth at the Mexico Open last month.
When will Eric Cole resume playing in PGA Championship?
Eric Cole is yet to play four more holes to complete his first round at the 2023 PGA Championship. He and 32 other golfers will resume his round 1 play at 7 am EST ahead of round 2. Round 2 will go as scheduled and tee times will not be altered.
The 34-year-old rookie performed really well on his first outing at PGA Championship to take a solo lead among the field of superstars. He has a one-stroke lead over LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau.
Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, and Corey Conners are tied for third at 3-under 67. World No. 1 and tournament favorite Jon Rahm had a horrible start as he carded 6 over 76 at Oak Hill on Thursday. He dug in only two birdies and holed in 6 bogeys and a double bogey.
After making it to weekends of 14 straight majors, the Spaniard will be hoping to pull off a miraculous performance on Friday to make the cut at Oak Hill.
