Eric Cole has matched A.J. Ewart for the lowest individual round at Colonial Country Club at this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
Cole, who seeks his first win on the PGA Tour, is in the clubhouse with the lead after posting a 7-under 63 during his third round Saturday.
“The course has a lot of history, so many great players and champions here. I am very excited to start the challenge tomorrow,” he said told CBS after his round. “It’s what you work hard for, it’s where you want to be.”
The 37-year-old Cole said he plans to “keep doing the same thing” he did on Moving Day when he returns to Colonial for the last 18 holes with Ryan Gerard and Mac Meissner on Sunday
“Obviously that worked pretty well today,” the Tour’s 2023 Rookie of the Year said with a grin.
“One of those days where everything went right, I got off to a good start and it just turned into a bunch of birdies,” he added. “It’s going to be hard to back this up.”
Cole has finished inside the top 10 in two of his last three events. In addition to the first win on Tour, he’s eyeing a $1.7-million payday and 500 FedEx Cup points.
“It’s not going to be an easy day tomorrow, I know that from my experience,” said Cole, who lost in a playoff at the Honda Classic to Chris Kirk in 2023. “I know that it’s going to be difficult, but that’s why I practice really hard and that’s why I try and do everything the way I do so that I could be as prepared for whatever tomorrow brings.”
Pressure amongst final groupings
Cole is one of a trifecta of players around the top of the leaderboard — Meissner and Alex Smalley are the others — who are seeking to become first-time winners on Tour at Colonial.
Then there’s reigning U.S. Open champ J.J. Spaun who is attempting to build confidence brick by brick before defending at Shinnecock Hills. He’ll have to overcome an already nagging toe injury, in addition to a bothersome ankle that he revealed to Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard after the third round.
“My toe has been bothering me for the last few months and then I rolled my ankle walking to the putting green yesterday morning and didn’t think anything of it [initially],” said Spaun when asked if the toe was impacting him while walking or swinging. “On the back nine, my Achilles tendon area was really aching badly and I didn’t put two and two together until last night that that’s what caused it but it feels really good today.”
And maybe some comfort?
It won’t be all unfamiliar terrain though.
Meissner, who carded a 3-under 67, which was good enough for third-lowest score on Saturday, will be playing in front of 50 or so hometown fans being a Texas native.
“It’s been so much fun staying with my wife’s parents and Matt McCarty and his caddie have been staying with us, too. So we’ve had a fun week,” Meisner told reporters after his round. “Off the course, I’ve been focused on my [San Antonio] Spurs. It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been great to take my mind off of golf and yell at the TV a little bit. Big game tonight, so I think that will be helpful to get my mind off of golf a little bit tonight.”
And, speaking of San Antonio, Spaun has slid on the winner boots there twice already — including earlier this year when he bested Michael Kim, Matt Wallace, Robert MacIntyre by one stroke.
Spaun is tied for third with Meissner after 54 holes.
“I like playing in Texas, I think the wind kind of suits me,” he told reporters after his round. “These kind of tight golf courses like here and at the Valero Texas Open over at TPC San Antonio are pretty similar, like tee to green where you got to hit it straight. Fairways are a premium, that way you can control your ball on the greens. I got good vibes in Texas, so hopefully keep it going tomorrow.”
The other contenders
Crowded has been a popular term around Colonial this week.
The leaderboard was tight after Thursday, and then again following the 36-hole cut that saw the field shaved down to 75 players.
In addition to fending off Gerard, Meissner and Spaun, Cole needs 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama to stay quiet again.
After finishing 66-65 over the first two rounds, Matsuyama (70) couldn’t find any magic on Moving Day and sits T-5 heading into the final round.
Next to him on the leaderboard are No. 12-ranked Russell Henley and Smalley, fresh off a T-2 at the PGA Championship.
“Golf is like a roller coaster,” said Smalley. “When you’re playing well, you’re at a peak. You want to stay at that peak for as long as you can. And then, inevitably, there will be valleys — and you want to get out of those as quickly as you can.”
“Obviously, I’ve been playing decently well the last few weeks and good golf is fun golf,” he added. “Just trying tried the wave as long as I can. Definitely having a good time out there. Have a decent opportunity tomorrow and see if we can make the leaders think a little bit with a few holes left.”
Henley, the second highest-ranked player in the field this week, also has a solid major finish of his own at the Masters where he tied for third with Cameron Young, Justin Rose, and Tyrrell Hatton.
He didn’t speak to the media but Spaun summed up what everyone within three strokes of Cole was thinking as they left the course Saturday night.
“Leading is always a good thing, especially if you have like a couple shots to play with, you’re kind of already separating yourself,” he said. “As long as I have a chance on the back nine, if I’m one or two back going into the back nine I still think I have a chance. Only being two back right now you can make that up so quickly around here with some of these holes if the conditions are like today as well.”