Eric Cole was pleased with how he rose to the challenge during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday.
Now he needs to do it again.
Cole shot 7-under-par 63 for the day's best score, taking the lead at Fort Worth, Texas.
Headed into Championship Sunday 👀#CharlesSchwabChallenge pic.twitter.com/X5wm4hjXiU
— Charles Schwab Challenge (@CSChallengeFW) May 31, 2026
"Everything was kind of working well," Cole said. "I got off to a really good start. I kind of knew going into it that it was going to be a harder course, firmer conditions. Getting off to that start and realising how much harder the course was today was great."
Cole, aiming for his first victory on the PGA Tour, goes to Sunday's final round at 12-under 198, holding a one-stroke edge on Ryan Gerard.
"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," Cole said.
A 63 on moving day for Eric Cole 😍
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 30, 2026
The mini-tour legend is hunting for his first PGA TOUR win @CSChallengeFW. pic.twitter.com/VDAAd0Qt8r
Gerard birdied the last two holes of the third round to post 68. Mac Meissner (67 on Saturday) and JJ Spaun (68) are two shots off the lead on the Colonial Country Club layout.
"I'm excited about the finish, but it's an expectation to finish rounds strong and kind of run through that finish line, you don't ever want to be just limping across," Gerard said.
Cole has never had a top-five finish on the PGA Tour, but he had back-to-back outings this spring when he tied for sixth place (Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Myrtle Beach Classic). Meissner is also without a top-five result.
Windy conditions have tested the golfers' ability to produce precision shots. More of that could impact the last round.
"Just be prepared for probably another difficult day that requires a lot of good quality shots," Cole said.
Chip-in to take the lead!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 30, 2026
Eric Cole is now 12-under @CSChallengeFW.
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/MnvbHD4hB3
Cole played the first 11 holes on Saturday in 6 under and later followed his lone bogey on No 15 with a birdie – courtesy of a chip-in from the fringe with the ball curling into the cup – on the next hole.
Meissner, who golfed for nearby Southern Methodist in college, finished his first 11 holes at 5 under before closing with two bogeys.
"The goal tomorrow for sure will just be to try and get the ball in the fairway a little bit more," Meissner said. "It's difficult out here, a lot of the times it's really difficult to commit to the shots that you're trying to hit with the crosswind that you have."
Gerard said he had to hang in there and then capitalised on the last two holes.
"Every shot really matters, any time you get a chance to capitalise on an opportunity, you've got to take advantage of it," Gerard said. "And this course is going to play difficult, so you've got to go out there with the right attitude and keep putting it in front of you and keep hitting it in the right spots."
Spaun said he's in a solid position for the final round.
Short game 🤌
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 30, 2026
JJ Spaun makes birdie from the sand @CSChallengeFW.
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/enOtMANuVy
"Only being two back right now you can make that up so quickly around here with some of these holes if the conditions are like today as well," he said.
Alex Smalley (69), Russell Henley (69) and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (70) are tied for fifth place at 9 under.
There's an eighth-place tie at 8 under with Michael Thorbjornsen (71), Michael Brennan (69), Canada's Mackenzie Hughes (69) and Colombia's Nico Echavarria (65).
Second-round leader Jordan Smith of England shot 74 to plummet to a tie for 19th place at 6 under. He didn't have a birdie and he was dinged with three consecutive bogeys on the front side.
Defending champion Ben Griffin shot 68 to pull to 6 under for the tournament.