Eric Cole Takes Early Travelers Championship Lead as Scottie Scheffler Stays Within Striking Distance

Posted : 26 June 2026

Eric Cole made an impressive start to the Travelers Championship by carding a bogey-free seven-under-par 63 to claim the first-round lead at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The American golfer heads the leaderboard by a single stroke after the opening day of the PGA Tour's $20 million signature event.

Cole credited the calm morning conditions for helping produce low scores, noting that the soft greens and light winds created plenty of birdie opportunities. He said he played consistently throughout the round, giving himself numerous chances and converting enough of them to post an excellent opening score.

Six players finished one stroke behind Cole on six-under-par 64. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was among the chasing pack alongside fellow Americans Bud Cauley and Ben Griffin, England's Matt Fitzpatrick, Norway's Kristoffer Reitan and Colombia's Nico Echavarría.

The 38-year-old Cole has been knocking on the door of his maiden PGA Tour victory in recent months. He has recorded four top-10 finishes in his last six tournaments, including a runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and believes the strong results are beginning to reflect the work he has put into improving his game.

Cole explained that although success did not come immediately after making technical adjustments earlier in the season, he remained confident that the process would eventually pay off. While he is eager to capture his first PGA Tour title, his focus remains on consistently putting himself in contention.

His opening round featured a series of highlights. Cole collected his first birdie after reaching the par-five sixth green in two shots before adding further birdies at the eighth and 11th holes. The standout moment came at the par-five 13th, where he chipped in from 63 feet for eagle, before finishing strongly with birdies on the 14th and 17th holes.

Scheffler also produced another polished performance as he continued his consistent form following a tie for fourth at last week's U.S. Open. The reigning world No. 1 opened with a birdie, added further gains at the fifth, sixth and ninth holes, then picked up additional birdies at the 13th and 15th to remain firmly in contention.

The American said he was pleased with the number of scoring opportunities he created during the round and felt his overall performance was solid, particularly his ability to give himself repeated birdie chances.

A group of six players shared eighth place on five-under-par 65, including England's Justin Rose and Aaron Rai, Norway's Viktor Hovland, Canada's Corey Conners, and Americans Patrick Cantlay and Brandt Snedeker.

Defending U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, fresh from claiming his second major title at Shinnecock Hills last week, opened his campaign with a three-under-par 68 and remains within striking distance heading into the second round.

Eric Cole Takes Early Travelers Championship Lead as Scottie Scheffler Stays Within Striking Distance

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