Eric Cole shot a seven-under 63 on Saturday at Colonial Country Club and took a one-shot lead into the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. The 120th career start now carries the clearest path yet to his first PGA Tour victory.
Cole reached 12 under after 54 holes, putting him one ahead of Ryan Gerard, who birdied the last two holes to shoot 68 and stay in touch. J.J. Spaun and Mac Meissner are tied at 10 under, while a seven-player group sits at seven under, including Justin Thomas, Gary Woodland, Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Brian Harman.
The move came fast. Cole started Saturday five shots off the lead, then got to work with a front nine that left him four under, before birdies on the 10th, 11th, 14th and 16th holes gave the round its shape. His only bogey came at No. 15. The 63 was two shots better than Nico Echavarria’s 65 and four better than several players who posted 67.
That kind of score was enough to change the board, but not enough to make Sunday feel simple. Cole said the course is expected to stay demanding and that it will probably take another day full of quality shots, especially if the wind picks up and the lack of rain keeps Colonial from softening. Gerard sounded the same note after his finish, saying every shot matters and that chances have to be taken when they come.
Cole knows the pressure of chasing a first win better than most. He has two runner-up finishes and two third-place finishes, all in 2023, and his closest call came in the 2023 Honda Classic, when he lost in a playoff. That history is what gives this final round its weight: he is not just leading, he is trying to finish the job in a place where the margin has been thin all week.
Sunday will decide whether this becomes the breakthrough that has eluded him for years or another near miss on a course that has already asked plenty from the field. Cole will tee off with the lead, and the rest of the leaderboard is close enough to make every hole matter from the first swing.
