Eric Cole hits from the 18th fairway during the final round of the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis. (Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports)
Cole started the week at No. 54 in the season-long points race and shot 72 in the third round and had his work cut out for him on Sunday.
“I did not play well yesterday at all tee to green,” he said. “Didn’t have too high of expectations for today.”
Indeed, he booked a flight home to Florida for 2 p.m. figuring his playoffs would be coming to an end.
Those flight plans have been rerouted. He started birdie-birdie-eagle and posted 30 on the front nine. He tacked on three more birdies at Nos. 13, 15 and 16 but found the water at 18 to put his chances of advancing in jeopardy. He bounced back and drained a 15-foot bogey putt that he had to make. He closed in 63, tying for the low round of the day.
“I think it’s a cool thing that this FedEx Cup kind of provides. There’s drama. You don’t really know where you’re going to be. It’s going to be kind of fun to sit back in the AC and watch them come down the final stretch.”
He finished T-18 for the tournament and improved to No. 46 and moving on to the Rocky Mountain state for the BMW.
“Fantastic 63 today! You can tell you’ve put in the hard work – way to go!!” wrote Cole’s mother, former LPGA pro Laura Baugh on social media.