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April 26, 1961 – Feb. 6, 2019

On a golf course, Matt Cole was a larger than life player for reasons that went beyond his physical stature.

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One of the best competitive golf professionals this area has known, Cole died Feb. 6 at age 57 from various health issues.

People would follow him to wherever he went

“For a big guy I don’t remember him being exceptionally long off the tee but his touch and his short-iron play was phenomenal,” said Kevin Corriveau, the program co-ordinator for sport and recreation at St. Clair College and a former Canadian PGA pro.

“Matt was very kind to me when he was (the head pro) at Pointe West and I was down the street at Fox Glen,” Corriveau recalled. “He was an established player and a very accomplished player but he helped me out a lot.”

Photo by Grant Black / Windsor Star

Cole spent five years playing on Canada’s professional tour against future PGA regulars in the U.S.

Now known as the MacKenzie PGA Tour Canada, Cole won the Canadian Tour stop known as the Charity Classic at Windsor’s Roseland Golf course in 1988. Along the way to victory, he fired a 62 that stood as the course record at Roseland until it was retired following course renovations in 2011.