Robert Eric Cole (born 11 May 1948) is a South African professional golfer.
Early life Cole was born in Springs, South Africa. After suffering a bicycle accident related knee injury, Cole took up golf at the age of eleven. He grew up playing golf on the course maintained for employees of the gold mine where his father, James Cole, worked. As a child, he was influenced by the careers of Bobby Locke and Gary Player.
He won both the South Africa junior golf championship and the Vaal Amateur.
Amateur career In 1966, Cole won the British Amateur at Carnoustie, Scotland, at age 18, the youngest winner to that stage. Cole held the record as youngest-ever winner of the tournament until Matteo Manassero won the event in 2009, at age 16. Cole also held the record as the youngest player to play in and make the cut at the Masters Tournament, in 1967, at just short of 19 of age, until Manassero, in 2010, again beat his record.
Professional career In the fall of 1967, Cole tried out for the PGA Tour at 1967 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He earned medalist honors. In 1974, he claimed both the team and the individual wins in the World Cup. Cole is a two-time winner of the South African Open in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he won the South African PGA Championship.
On the PGA Tour, Cole won the 1977 Buick Open. He has had nine top-25 finishes in the major championships including a tie for third in the 1975 Open Championship, one stroke out of a playoff. During the event, Cole shot back-to-back rounds of 66, setting and then matching the course record at Carnoustie.
Cole played on the Champions Tour from 1998 to 2001.
Personal life Cole is married to author Linda Parker. He resides in Windermere, Florida where he teaches private lessons, corporate retreats, and plays ProAms and other golf events.
On 12 December 1980, Cole married American professional golfer Laura Baugh in Cape Town, South Africa. The couple divorced, remarried, and then divorced again. They had seven children together, including professional golfer Eric Cole, who was awarded 2022–23 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Awards and honors During the 1973–74 season, Cole earned the Order of Merit for the Southern Africa Tour In 2012, Cole was inducted into the Southern Africa Golf Hall of Fame
Amateur wins 1964 South African Boys Championship 1966 British Amateur, Golf Illustrated Gold Vase (tie with Peter Townsend)
Professional wins (14) PGA Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up14 Sep 1977Buick Open−17 (67-69-68-67=271)1 stroke Fred Marti
Southern Africa Tour wins (7) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up18 Jan 1972ICL Transvaal Open−14 (65-67-68-70=270)Playoff Tienie Britz29 Dec 1972Natal Open−11 (71-68-72-66=277)1 stroke Dale Hayes317 Dec 1972Rhodesian Dunlop Masters−20 (66-68-63-71=268)4 strokes Cobie Legrange420 Jan 1974Vavasseur Natal Open (2)−4 (74-72-69-69=284)1 stroke Tienie Britz52 Feb 1974South African Open−16 (70-65-73-64=272)4 strokes Allan Henning66 Dec 1980Datsun South African Open (2)−9 (73-63-70-73=279)4 strokes Nick Price726 Jan 1986Lexington PGA Championship−15 (66-65-66-68=265)5 strokes David Frost, Teddy Webber
Southern Africa Tour playoff record (1–2) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11972ICL Transvaal Open Tienie BritzWon with birdie on first extra hole21974Dunlop South African Masters Gary PlayerLost to par on second extra hole31977Rhodesian Dunlop Masters Allan Henning
Tournament Player Series wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up14 Aug 1985Seattle-Everett Open−12 (70-65-66=201)1 stroke Dave Stockton
Other South African wins (3) 1969 Natal Open, Dunlop South African Masters 1970 Natal Open
Other wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up124 Nov 1974World Cup(with Dale Hayes)−6 (137-138-139-140=554)5 strokes − Isao Aoki and Masashi Ozaki224 Nov 1974World Cup Individual Trophy−9 (66-70-67-68=271)5 strokes Masashi Ozaki
Results in major championships Tournament1966196719681969Masters TournamentT44U.S. OpenCUTT31The Open ChampionshipT30CUTT13CUTPGA ChampionshipT21 Tournament1970197119721973197419751976197719781979Masters TournamentCUTT154728U.S. OpenT12T13T47CUTThe Open ChampionshipT28T7T3T32T15PGA ChampionshipT3T40T54 Tournament19801981198219831984198519861987Masters TournamentU.S. OpenCUTThe Open ChampionshipPGA ChampionshipT43
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 4U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 4The Open Championship 0 0 1 1 2 4 9 7PGA Championship 0 0 1 1 1 2 5 5Totals 0 0 2 2 3 9 26 20 Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (1974 Open Championship – 1978 PGA) Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1974 Open Championship – 1974 PGA)
Team appearances Amateur Eisenhower Trophy (representing South Africa): 1966
Professional World Cup (representing South Africa): 1969, 1974 (winners, individual winner), 1976
See also 1967 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
References
External links