Eric Cole takes lead at Colonial behind 7-under 63

Eric Cole has matched A.J. Ewart for the lowest individual round at Colonial Country Club at this week's Charles Schwab Challenge.

>Cole, who seeks his first win on the PGA Tour, is in the clubhouse with the lead after posting a 7-under 63 during his third round Saturday.

>"The course has a lot of history, so many great players and champions here. I am very excited to start the challenge tomorrow," he said told CBS after his round. "It's what you work hard for, it's where you want to be."

>Almost guaranteed to be in one of the final two groupings Sunday, the 37-year-old Cole said he plans to "keep doing the same thing" he did on Moving Day when he returns to Colonial for the last 18 holes.

>"Obviously that worked pretty well today," the Tour's 2023 Rookie of the Year said with a grin.

>Cole has finished inside the top 10 in two of his last three events. He's sat inside the top 50 in all 9 tournaments he's survived the 36-hole cut.

>In addition to the first win on Tour, he's set to net a $1.7-million payday and 500 FedEx Cup points if the results.

>"One of those days where everything went right, I got off to a good start and it just turned into a bunch of birdies," Cole said recapping his round. "It's going to be hard to back this up."

class="PagePromo-content">Charles Schwab Challenge - Final Rd

class="PagePromo-description">The final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge is underway at Colonial Country Club in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Pressure in the potential final groupCole is one of a trifecta of players atop the leaderboard — Mac Meissner and Alex Smalley are the others — who seek to become first-time winners on Tour Sunday.

>Then there's reigning U.S. Open champ J.J. Spaun who is attempting to build confidence brick by brick before teeing off at Shinnecock Hills.

>Whoever is playing Cole, there will be pressure.

>"It's not going to be an easy day tomorrow, I know that from my experience," said Cole, who lost in a playoff at the Honda Classic to Chris Kirk in 2023. "I know that it's going to be difficult, but that's why I practice really hard and that's why I try and do everything the way I do so that I could be as prepared for whatever tomorrow brings."

And some comfort?It won't be all unfamiliar terrain though.

>Meissner, who carded a 3-under 67 which was good enough for third-lowest score on Saturday, will be playing in front of the comfort of 50 or so hometown fans being a Texas native.

>"It's been so much fun staying with my wife's parents and Matt McCarty and his caddie have been staying with us, too. So we've had a fun week," the Dallas native told reporters after his round. "Off the course, I've been focused on my [San Antonio] Spurs. It's been a lot of fun, it's been great to take my mind off of golf and yell at the TV a little bit. Big game tonight, so I think that will be helpful to get my mind off of golf a little bit tonight."

>And, speaking of San Antonio, Spaun has slid on the winner boots there twice already — including earlier this year when he bested Michael Kim, Matt Wallace, Robert MacIntyre by one stroke.

>Spaun is in the clubhouse T-2 with Meissner after 54 holes.

The other contendersCrowded has been a popular term around Colonial this week.

>The leaderboard was tight after Thursday, and then again following the 36-hole cut that saw the field be shaved down to 75 players.

>Cole's two-stroke lead at 12 under, if it holds, will be the largest of the week.

>In addition to fending off Meissner and Spaun, he will need to hope 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama cards another 70 on Sunday — or worse.

>After finishing 66-65 over the first two rounds, Matsuyama couldn't find any magic on Moving Day and sits T-5 heading into the final round.

>Next to him on the leaderboard are No. 12-ranked Russell Henley and Smalley, fresh off a T-2 at the PGA Championship. Henley, the next highest-ranked in the field other than Spaun this week, is also coming off a major finish of his own.

>He finished T-3 with Cameron Young, Justin Rose, and Tyrrell Hatton at this year's Masters.