Eric Cole puts his loyalty, golf skills on display while taking big lead in Fuhrer Invitational

Eric Cole might play the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational during a winter snowstorm, if that was when tournament organizers scheduled it.

So no way Cole would allow some inclement weather in Connecticut or rain in Fox Chapel to keep him from the tournament or from crafting a commanding lead after three rounds.

After what he termed an “eightish-hour” drive from the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Conn. — he finished tied for 24th on Sunday — he didn’t want to risk weather-related flight delays.

So he drove to Pittsburgh, arrived around midnight Sunday night, and started trashing the Fuhrer field Monday morning. He shot 63 and 71 in Monday’s two rounds and 68 on Tuesday — overall 8-under-par 202 — at rain-soaked Pittsburgh Field Club. He has an eight-stroke lead on T.J. Howe and David Bradshaw going into Wednesday’s final round.

“I probably wouldn’t be on Tour without this tournament,” Cole said Tuesday after his round. “Because when I won it (in 2014), I really had no money to keep golfing.

“(The $40,000 first prize) kept me going, gave me a chance to continue to pursue getting on the PGA Tour. I’m going to play it no matter what.”

After back issues in his 20s had him nearly considering a career other than golf, Cole recovered to record 56 victories on the Minor League Golf Tour. The son of pro golfers Bobby Cole and Laura Baugh, Cole has had a busy season that includes finishing tied for 15th at the PGA Championship and tied for 39th at the U.S. Open.

He already has won more than $2.8 million. So this week is not about the $20,000 first prize.

“It’s mostly about being here,” he said, “but if you’re here, you want to play well.”

At 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, Cole, 35, is not the biggest ball striker on Tour, but that didn’t matter Tuesday.

“I hit it better the last few holes,” he said, “but the greens are soft, so I could recover.”

The Field Club course is as unforgiving as any in Western Pennsylvania. There have been only 11 under-par rounds in three days, and Cole has two after thinking his way through them.

“It is demanding at times. You have to pay attention to what you’re doing,” he said.

Cole might run away with the Fuhrer title Wednesday, but there probably will be an interesting battle for second place in the final Fuhrer tournament after a more than 30-year run.

Howe and Bradshaw are at even par (210) after shooting 70 and 72, respectively, on Tuesday. One stroke behind are Thadd Obecny III and Connor Schmidt and local amateurs Andrew Friend and Jimmy Meyers. Obecny and Friend shot 68s on Tuesday.

Friend and his father, Robert, are playing this week, the first time a father-son team has competed in the Fuhrer Invitational. The elder Friend, who has had a long and successful golf career, is at 18-over 228.

“It’s fun to play against him, and I love beating him. It feels really good,” said Andrew Friend, a Fox Chapel High School graduate with an eye on the pro tour. “A lot of people think he’s still really good. And, trust me, he’s still really good. But he doesn’t hit it long enough to compete against me anymore.

“I think I have to get a little bit better for professional golf. I have to see where I stack up in this field. Hopefully, post low (Wednesday). Maybe entice me to go professional.”

Robert Friend is the son of former Pirates pitcher Bob Friend, and Anthony, the grandson, eventually had to choose between the two games.

“My dad sat me down at some point and said baseball or golf,” Anthony said. “I just fell in love with golf. I love the idea of hitting the white ball. It’s the only sport where you’re hitting a stationary object.”

Along with his father, Anthony has built a friendly rivalry with Meyers, a Central Catholic graduate who plays at Penn State.

“Nothing crazy,” Anthony said. “We like each other so much we just want to beat each other so bad.”