“It's a huge honor”: Eric Cole talks about winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award
Eric Cole made history after becoming the second oldest golfer to win the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. The 35-year-old waited multiple decades for this opportunity and it paid off.
Cole had a scintillating rookie season and made seven top-10 finishes and one runner-up finish at the 2023 Honda Classic. The American golfer was delighted after winning the Arnold Palmer Award and felt honored.
Eric Cole believes that each person has one chance to win the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award and the experience was unique. Cole bested the Swedish young prodigy Ludvig Aberg and came out on top.
Cole said via the PGA Tour.
"It’s a huge honor to win Rookie of the Year. It’s an award in golf where you only get one chance to win it, which is a little bit unique. To win that and be voted by my peers is pretty incredible, and it’s just a huge honor.”
Interestingly, Cole had a longstanding minor league golf career where he won 12 championships. The 35-year-old also had a short stint on the Korn Ferry Tour before earning his official PGA Tour card of the season.
Eric Cole made an incredible comeback in the latter half of the PGA Tour season
The start of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season wasn't favorable for Eric Cole and he struggled to make cuts initially. After featuring in 37 Championships last season, his best finish came at the Honda Classic where he lost out to Chris Kirk during the playoffs.
Cole also tied for second at the 2023 Zozo Championship and delivered a strong T3 result at the RSM Classic. Interestingly, he's the only rookie to make the top 50 of the FedEx Cup rankings.
The American golfer finished the season with four Top-5 finishes in his final five events and was subsequently crowned PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Moreover, Eric Cole isn't the only golfer to win the accolade as his mother Laura Baugh also achieved the feat in 1973.
Although he has made a late start on the PGA Tour, Cole is trying to make up for all the years with consistent performances. The 35-year-old will hope to do the same this season and get his hands on some silverware.