A year has passed since Eric Cole carded rounds of 68-67-69 for 6-under 204 to enter the final round of the Travelers Championship 2025 tied for 14th. Sadly, he never got into contention as he had to withdraw due to a chronic condition. This year, though, things are different. He has moved past that health scare and scored a 7-under 63 in his opening round to climb to the top the leaderboard. But even then the ghosts of the past are vivid as ever. 

“Spent the night in the hospital and was not in shape to come out and play, which was disappointing, because I was playing pretty well and I love this tournament and I wanted to be a part of Sunday,” Cole said after Round 1. “I’m not sure if it’s redemption, but I’m happy to be here and feeling good and hopefully none of that this year.”

The American professional has Addison’s disease. It is a chronic endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones. The production becomes extremely low, especially during physical stress, which is exactly what Eric Cole faced last year.

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Cole, 37 at that time, was competing against the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Tommy Fleetwood, and others then. Stress during such situations is normal in golf, but his condition made it a lot worse for him. As the adrenal crisis worsened, he had no choice but to forfeit the chance of claiming his maiden PGA Tour title.

Speaking to Golf Digest about the issue in 2023, he revealed that it all started during his second year in college, when he started feeling lethargic.

“My body ached, and I lost a bunch of weight. I went home, thinking rest would fix me, but I got worse. I weighed 117 pounds when my mom took me to the ER. I was diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases: type 1 diabetes and Addison’s disease,” he said.

While he used protein bars and Sour Patch Kids to cope with diabetes, Addison’s disease management required him to take two pills every day in the morning to address the lack of hormones. Besides that, he was also diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back when he was close to making it to the PGA Tour. He then had to stop playing for a while before returning to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020.

His medication helped manage the symptoms, but an adrenal crisis kicked in before the final round of last year’s Travelers Championship. However, he has made up for it this year.

Eric Cole carded a bogeyless opening round. With an eagle on par-5 13th and birdies on holes 6, 8, 11, 14, and 17, he finished 7-under 63.

Although the opening round is still underway with many professionals yet to complete their 18 holes, he is currently at the top in SG: Total. Cole was most effective with his approach game. He gained 3.019 in SG: Approach to Green score and ranked second in that category after finishing his round.

Eric Cole isn’t the only one; many other professionals are struggling with chronic conditions while playing on the PGA Tour. One of the most renowned of them is Gary Woodland. He was diagnosed with a brain lesion and underwent surgery for that in 2023. The PGA Tour honored him with the Tour’s Courage Award when he made a full-time comeback. Although he still struggles to play at a 100%, his comeback includes a win at the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open.

JJ Spaun is another example, who is dealing with type 1 diabetes. Media reports state that he wears a blood sugar monitor on his arm to track his blood sugar during competition.

Eric Cole’s resurgence at TPC River Highlands highlights the determination required to compete at the highest level. Hopefully, he will continue to find ways to overcome adversity and contend against the game’s best.