Eric Cole

Made his Open debut at the age of 36 in 2024, 47 years after his father Bobby, joint-third at Carnoustie in 1975 after leading with a round to go, made the last of his nine appearances.

Cole, whose mother is former women’s star Laura Baugh, was a prodigious winner on the Minor League Tour, but did not play his first major championship until the 2021 US Open.

He then earned a PGA Tour card for 2023, lost a play-off to Chris Kirk for the Honda Classic and became the circuit’s second oldest-ever Rookie of the Year behind Todd Hamilton, winner of the 2004 Open at Royal Troon.

Cole came agonisingly close to a maiden PGA TOUR victory for a second time in May as he was again beaten in a play-off, this time by Russell Henley at the Charles Schwab Classic.

One of seven children his famous parents had, he is the first to make his own mark in the game.

“Eric has done all this on his own,” his mother said. “I taught all my kids to play golf, but I realised that you either have the love or you don’t. I made it available to all of them to see if they’d show passion – Eric did.”