Eric Cole grabs his first 54-hole PGA Tour lead at Colonial, where heat, wind and pressure could turn Sunday into a survival test.
FORT WORTH - The Charles Schwab Challenge turned nasty Saturday, and Eric Cole somehow made Colonial Country Club look playable.
With the North Texas heat climbing, the wind picking up and scores ballooning across the field, Cole fired a brilliant 7-under 63 to grab his first 54-hole lead on the PGA TOUR.
That wasn’t just a good round. It was the kind of round that changes the entire feel of a tournament.
Cole, still chasing his first TOUR win after 119 starts, made eight birdies against one bogey while the field average sat at 71.2.
Colonial had been softer earlier in the week after rain, but by Saturday, the course was drying out, the fairways were firmer and the rough was starting to punish even small misses.
That’s what made Cole’s round so impressive.
He only hit seven of 14 fairways, but his iron play and putter covered up the damage.
On a course where pecan trees can turn one loose tee shot into a scramble for bogey, Cole kept attacking.
Ryan Gerard stayed right on his heels with a gritty 2-under 68, closing birdie-birdie to get within one shot.
Mac Meissner, who played college golf at SMU and is building a home near Colonial, shot 67 and sits two back alongside J.J. Spaun after his 68.
Sunday won’t be gentle.
The forecast calls for more sun, more wind and temperatures pushing 95 degrees.
That means faster greens, firmer landing areas and a final round that could turn into a full-on stress test.
Cole leads, but there’s danger everywhere. Gerard already owns a PGA TOUR win.
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Spaun is a proven Texas performer and reigning U.S. Open champion. Hideki Matsuyama, Russell Henley and Alex Smalley are lurking at 9-under.
Cole earned the spotlight Saturday. Now comes the hard part: surviving Sunday at Colonial when the course starts punching back.
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