Eric Cole, the winner of the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2023, comes from a family of pro golfers. Both of his parents, Laura Baugh and Bobby Cole, were professional golfers themselves. Laura Baugh, Eric’s mother, won the same award on the LPGA Tour 50 years before him. Growing up watching his parents play and practice, Eric learned valuable lessons from them that shaped his own golf game.
While his father, Bobby Cole, had a powerful drive that surpassed Eric’s, it was with his mother, Laura, that Eric spent more time playing. Laura Baugh may not have won as many tournaments, but she had an impressive 71 top-10 finishes during her 25-year LPGA career. One unique aspect of Laura’s warm-up routine was starting with fairway woods instead of wedges, as most pros do. By hitting 3 and 5-woods off the deck, Laura believed she could gauge her swing better and ensure solid contact by being in balance and completing her backswing.
Eric Cole continues to follow his mother’s warm-up routine to this day, starting with fairway woods even if he doesn’t plan on using them much during the round. He finds that hitting his woods well sets the tone for his entire game and makes hitting other clubs feel easier. This approach to warming up has been beneficial for Eric and may be worth trying for other golfers looking to improve their ball-striking consistency.
Despite being 35 years old, Eric Cole made history by becoming the second-oldest player to win the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. In 2023, he achieved seven top-10 finishes on the tour, showcasing his talent and dedication to the sport. Eric’s success on the PGA Tour is a testament to his hard work, skills, and the valuable lessons he learned from his parents, who were both accomplished professional golfers in their own right.
Growing up in a golfing family, Eric Cole had a unique advantage in his journey to becoming a professional golfer. Watching his parents compete at a high level and honing his skills alongside them gave Eric a solid foundation for his own career. By following his mother’s unconventional warm-up routine with fairway woods, Eric has been able to improve his ball-striking and perform consistently on the course.
Eric Cole’s story is one of family, tradition, and hard work paying off in the world of professional golf. Winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2023 was a significant achievement for Eric, considering the legacy of success that his parents had in the sport. With his determination, talent, and the lessons learned from his parents, Eric Cole is poised to continue making a name for himself in the world of golf and building on the legacy of his family in the sport.
