Eric Cole wins PGA Tour Rookie of Year 50 years after mom, Laura Baugh, won same award on LPGA Tour

Eric Cole didn't know which part was more cool: winning an award named for an iconic Hall of Fame golfer he has played "40 or 50" rounds with or capturing the same award his mom won 50 years ago on the LPGA Tour.

So it is only appropriate that Cole, who lives in Delray Beach, is the recipient of the Arnold Palmer Award, which goes to the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, on the golden anniversary of his mom, Laura Baugh, being named top rookie on the LPGA Tour.

"It's incredible," said Cole, who was 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings and the lone rookie to qualify for the BMW Championship. "Such a huge honor.

"I think there's a cool feeling for me winning this, it being called the Arnold Palmer Award and having a connection with Mr. Palmer growing up and being around him a little bit, and then also my mom winning the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year exactly 50 years ago. It just seems almost hard to believe."

More: Delray Beach's Eric Cole in top 15 at PGA Championship, his second major

Cole, 35, took an atypical route to the award. He is the second-oldest player to be named top rookie behind Todd Hamilton, who was 39 when he won in 2004. The Rookie of Year Award was established in 1990.

But Cole persevered through the Minor League Golf Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour and working as a golf teacher and a caddie for good friend Sam Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer, for the 2019 Florida Swing.

"I'm proud of the work he's put in," Baugh, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, said in March at The Players, two weeks after Cole lost the Honda Classic in a playoff to Chris Kirk.

"A lot of people really support him and cheer him on because they can identify with him. He's someone that's really put in the time and effort. He's a relatable guy."

Cole's breakout year did not start well. He missed his first four cuts, contracted COVID in Napa and his bags were stolen in Las Vegas.

"I had some weird things happen, so I didn't go into any kind of panic," he said. "I tried to just tell myself that the game that you have … if you just stick with it and don't try and change too much, then most of the time the game that gets you there, you can have success with."

Cole sought advice from his parents and other professionals who told him the same thing. Eventually, it all paid off. He played in 37 tour events last season with seven top 10s, including two runner-up finishes. He made more than $5.45 million.

Ranked 41st in the world, Cole had four top fives during the fall season, including each of his final three starts. His six top-five finishes during the season tied for the fifth-most behind Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler (13), Patrick Cantlay (eight), Rory McIlroy (eight) and Jon Rahm (eight).

And he led the tour with 554 birdies on the season, 59 more than the second-highest total.

Golf in his blood

Cole is the son of two professional golfers. Baugh finished with 70 top 10s in a 25-year LPGA career. His dad, Bobby Cole, a South African, won the 1977 Buick Open on the PGA Tour and twice finished third in a major.

Those bloodlines led to Cole having a relationship with Palmer and his family, including Saunders.

"Even if I didn't have the connection with him, it would still be an incredible honor, and then to have that layer of me growing up around him a little bit and sharing some times with the Saunders family and Mr. Palmer and all that just make it so …," Coles said. "It's almost hard to believe to think that I won an award named after him."

Cole said he cherishes the time spent with Palmer off the course as much as anything. Palmer was 87 when he died in 2016.

"The more memorable thing to me was just spending time around him, hearing some of his old stories about traveling the tour back in the day and some of those stories had my dad in them, which I thought was really cool," Cole said.

"It's the little stuff like that when I think about him and growing up kind of means the most to me."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Eric Cole wins PGA Tour rookie of year 50 years after mom, Laura Baugh, was LPGA top rookie