Well, let me tell you ’bout Eric Cole, a young fella who’s makin’ quite the name for himself in the world of golf. Born on June 12, 1988, down there in Delray Beach, Florida, Eric’s been around the game of golf ever since he could remember. Now, he ain’t just some random guy swingin’ a club. Nah, he’s the son of two professional golfers – Bobby Cole and Laura Baugh, so you could say he got the game in his blood right from the start.
Now, Eric’s daddy, Bobby, he wasn’t no slouch neither. Bobby Cole won the Buick Open back in 1977 and had a few top finishes in major tournaments. So, when little Eric was growin’ up, he had a front-row seat to the game, watchin’ his parents do their thing. It’s no wonder he started playin’ golf at a young age. By the time he was 11, he was already takin’ it seriously. And let me tell you, once you start young like that, it’s in your bones.
In fact, Eric played so much golf that he became good friends with Sam Saunders, who just happens to be the grandson of the legendary Arnold Palmer. I hear the three of ’em played together at some fancy clubs, like Bay Hill in Florida and Latrobe Country Club up in Pennsylvania. That’s big-time stuff right there!
But Eric didn’t get everything handed to him. Oh no. He had to work hard for it. In 2009, he won the Minor League Golf Tour Championship. Ain’t no small feat! But that was just the start. Eric wasn’t content with just a few wins. No, sir. He kept climbin’ the ladder, earnin’ his Korn Ferry Tour card in 2017. That’s the next step for golfers lookin’ to make it big in the PGA Tour.
In 2021, Eric started showin’ up more and more on the Korn Ferry Tour, and in 2022, he made a big splash. He was tied for third in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, and he even tied for the lead at the Honda Classic with Chris Kirk. Of course, Kirk won that one in a playoff, but Eric showed he could hang with the best of ’em.
Now, things really started takin’ off for Eric when he was named the 2022–2023 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. That’s a big ol’ honor! It’s like sayin’ you’re the best new guy in the whole darn tour. He’s earned over $7.9 million so far, which is a good chunk of change, don’t ya think? Most of that money’s from the PGA and Korn Ferry Tours, but he’s also done real well on the Minor League Golf Tour, too.
And I reckon I gotta mention his personal life a bit too. Eric’s been with his wife, Stephanie Williams, for over seven years now. He even proposed to her at Monterey Peninsula’s Shore Course, right before the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Ain’t that romantic? They’ve been together for a long time now, and it looks like they’re goin’ strong.
Eric’s still a relatively young fella, and he’s just gettin’ started. He’s already made his first Masters appearance, and in 2024, he had six top-25 finishes worldwide. It seems like there ain’t no stoppin’ him now. If you ask me, this young man’s got a bright future ahead of him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him win some big ol’ tournaments in the years to come.
So, there you go. That’s Eric Cole in a nutshell. A boy who grew up with golf, worked hard for every win, and now he’s makin’ a name for himself on the biggest stages. If you’re a fan of golf, you better keep an eye on him, ‘cause he’s only just gettin’ started!
Tags：[Eric Cole, PGA Tour, Golf, Professional Golfer, Korn Ferry Tour, Rookie of the Year, Arnold Palmer, Masters, Golf Career]
