PGA Tour Rookie of Year Eric Cole returns to Cognizant after last year's runner-up finish

One year ago, Eric Cole was about six months into earning his PGA Tour card, was ranked 330th in the world and had pocketed less than $400,000 on the Tour.

Now, the Tequesta resident is 37th in the world, has just under $7.2 million in career earnings and is the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

And all of this happened in the year he turned 35.

"I think everyone's story is probably a little different as far as their road to the PGA Tour and success on the PGA Tour," said Cole, the son of professonal golfers Laura Baugh and Bobby Cole.

"In my case, it was a long road and a tough road. I just tried to stay the course and not not get too down on myself and stick to what I'm doing and kind of have confidence in what I'm doing is right. And then eventually the results will be there."

Those results came quick. Cole grinded away for more than a decade on mini tours, winning 56 events on the Minor League Golf Tour, earning his Korn Ferry Tour card in 2017 and 2021. He earned his PGA Tour card for the 2022-23 season - 14 years after turning pro - and in about four months started turning heads.

And he took full advantage of that status playing 37 events last season.

Finally, after his first top 15 finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Cole's breakout event occurred a few miles from his home. Cole shot a 266 to force a playoff with Chris Kirk at the 2023 Honda Classic, the lowest score since the tournament - now known as the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches - moved to PGA National in 2007. Kirk won the playoff, denying Cole his first PGA Tour win.

Since then, he's come close with five more top 5s.

Cole, who practices with Tequesta neighbor Nick Hardy along with Mark Calcavecchia and Russ Cochran, who play on the PGA Tour Champions, is not surprised with his meteoric rise. He's a professional athlete and professional athletes are not lacking confidence. The one thing he believed prevented him from reaching the next level was putting together that one solid round each week that could take him to the top.

Especially in Q-School, where the pressure is greater than any of these golfers face, often determining whether they continue in their sport or start looking for work in the real world.

"It was really more than anything just performing when I needed to," Cole said. "That was a big problem for me, for whatever reason, I couldn't have a good round when I needed one. I just couldn't kind of get over the finish line.

"I just kept hitting that wall and then once I broke through it, it was almost like relief … 'Alright, I've gotten here. Now I can kind of take a deep breath and kind of just play my game.' "

And it wasn't just forcing that playoff with Kirk with a par on the 72nd hole. Cole said earning his tour card was a "huge breakthrough," but being near the top of the leader board on the final day for the first time was the next step.

"That was the first tournament where I was really in contention," said Cole, who will play the event for the second time this year. "So that was a great environment and a cool spot to be. When you get in, it's a little bit addicting, so you kind of want to be in it again. And in my case, I wanted to get different results.

"Once you kind of feel that you want to feel it as much as you can."

The finish got Cole into the Players and two months later he was in his first major, placing 15th at the PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y. A steady climb throughout the year resulted in Cole qualifying for FedEx Cup Playoff and earning his way into the 2024 signature events.

Some of those not in signature events this season: Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry and Billy Horshel.

What does that mean?

"I'm going to be able to take a few more weeks off maybe throughout the year versus last year," he said. "I was trying to play to get in a lot of the big events."

Then came the reward for that patience and hard work: Winning an award his mom won 50 years ago on the LPGA Tour.

Baugh turned professional after winning the 1971 U.S. Women’s Amateur. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1973 and captured Rookie of the Year honors after a solid debut season.

Cole is the second-oldest player to be named top rookie on the PGA Tour behind Todd Hamilton, who was 39 when he won in 2004. The Rookie of Year Award was established in 1990.

Cole now is seeking to join his dad as a PGA Tour winner. Bobby Cole, a South African, won the 1977 Buick Open and twice finished third in a major. Baugh had 10 runner-ups in her career.

Still, the younger Cole is not feeling any added pressure to win. He's the ultimate 'stay in the moment' kind of guy. He is able to move on from each shot, each round, each tournament.

"I think of it more individually," he said. "Each shot has its own shot, each tournament has its own tournament, each year has its own year. So while it's cool to have that honor from last year it's just a combination of having a lot of good weeks, having a whole bunch of little things right.

"Now it's just onto the next thing."

Tom D'Angelo is a sports columnist and reporter at The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @tomdangelo44.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PGA Tour Rookie of Year Eric Cole lost in Honda Classic 2023 playoff