Eric Cole on his Journey to The PGA TOUR and Lessons Learned Along the Way

Eric Cole is the 2023 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. He has also won over 56 Mini Tour Professional Tournaments and is the ultimate story of resilience and dogged perseverance.   Eric joins Mark Immelman to talk about his career in golf, his journey to the PGA TOUR, and the 2013 Rookie of the Year title. Cole shares stories from his childhood.  He talks about getting to know and play golf with Sam Saunders and Arnold Palmer, as well as growing up with a famous golfing father (Bobby Cole) and an equally famous golfing mother, 1973 LPGA Rookie of the Year, Laura Baugh. Eric shares intimate stories like his battle with Type 1 Diabetes and Addison's Disease.  He talks about NCAA college golf, Mini Tour battles and his ascent to the Korn Ferry Tour and ultimately The PGA TOUR.  He shares how he broke through barriers at each level with a mindset shift and a change in how he views challenges. Growing up in Florida Eric speaks of his affinity to Florida tournaments and shares inside-the-ropes takes of his final round battle with Chris Kirk in the 2023 Honda (now Cognizant) Classic. A master around the greens, Eric talks about the short game and how he pitches and chips off Bermuda grass.  He also talks about putting and shares the drill he does to manage the quality of his putting stroke.  He also shares insights on how to make pressure putts as he elaborates on the importance of beings true to yourself and your technique - a lesson he learned from his dad.   Eric has made a a success of himself in life and in golf by way of a positive mindset and positive thinking - he talks about this trait, something taught to him by his mom. This podcast is als available on YouTube. Search and subscribe to Mark Immelman.