Imagine being five years old and picking up a golf club for the first time, not knowing it would one day shape your entire life. That was Bud Cauley’s reality. But talent alone doesn’t turn a kid swinging a club in his backyard into a professional golfer. Behind every great athlete is a support system that pushes, sacrifices, and believes in them even before they believe in themselves. For Cauley, that support came from his parents, Bill and Melba Cauley.
He grew up in a disciplined military household, where punctuality and respect were non-negotiable. This truly shaped him into the dedicated golfer we all know today. His father, Bill Cauley, served 20 years in the U.S. Navy and made sure his son understood the importance of time management and responsibility.
In the Cauley house, being “on time” wasn’t good enough—you had to be early. “If you say you’re going to be there at six o’clock, you’re going to be there at 5:45 or 5:50—the whole thing, you know, is, ‘Early is on time and on time’s late,’” Cauley recalled.
But while his dad was all about discipline, his mom, Melba Cauley, made sure his education stayed a priority. As a reading coach, she wasn’t about to let Cauley’s golf career get in the way of school. So, instead of juggling practice and a regular school schedule, the Cauleys made a bold decision: homeschooling. This way, Cauley could fully dedicate himself to golf while still keeping up with his studies.
Growing up meant ‘always travelling‘
You must have heard PGA Tour pros whining over the hectic travelling schedule of the tour. But Cauley is accustomed to such hustles. Growing up in a military family also meant moving—a lot. Cauley spent part of his childhood in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and later in Guam. While he was too young to remember much about Cuba, his time in Guam definitely left a lasting impression. Like the time an earthquake shook their house.
“My room was upstairs, and my mom was downstairs like in the kitchen or something and all the sudden I’m sitting in my room and the wall starts to shake,” Cauley said, recalling the experience. “And as I get halfway down the stairs, the whole, I mean it really, hit. The whole earthquake hit, and it almost threw me down the stairs.” And then there were the infamous brown tree snakes.
“The way they talked about it, you would think they were hanging in trees everywhere,” the golfer shared. He never actually saw one, but his family did have a hilarious run-in with a very different kind of reptile. One day, as Cauley’s mom stood in the doorway, a lizard fell from above and landed right on her neck. “She probably jumped 10 feet in the air and told us to come back in the house. We weren’t allowed to play outside that day,” Cauley recalled.
Even with all the moving, all the challenges, one thing stayed the same: his parents’ dedication to his dream. No matter where they were, golf was always at the center of Cauley’s world.
Bud Cauley’s journey from junior star to pro golfer
All the discipline, sacrifices, and endless hours on the course started paying off as Cauley dominated junior golf. By the time he was a teenager, he was competing at the highest levels, representing the U.S. in the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup. His hard work earned him a spot at the University of Alabama, where he became a three-time first-team Golfweek All-American.
But college was just another step toward his ultimate goal—the PGA Tour. In 2011, he made the leap, and unlike most players who have to go through the brutal qualifying process, Cauley pulled off something incredible—he earned his PGA Tour card in just eight starts. But what followed was not without challenges.
In 2018, he was involved in a serious car accident after Friday’s round at the Memorial Tournament. He suffered six broken ribs, a fractured left leg, and collapsed right lung in the crash and since admitted to the PGA Tour that he was “so thankful to be alive.” He returned to the Tour a year later and played before he started to feel pain in his right side. Doctors could not remove the plates in his chest that were causing the pain, and he ended up having multiple surgeries. Plenty more went wrong for Cauley over the next few years as he missed both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons through injury.
Injuries have knocked him down at crucial moments, but if there’s one thing his parents drilled into him from day one, it’s discipline, perseverance, and gratitude—the kind of mindset that keeps you going, no matter what.
And despite all the tournaments, trophies, and pressure of pro golf, Cauley’s military upbringing has never left him. Growing up in that world made him appreciate the sacrifices made by servicemen and women, which is why he actively supports military charities like Birdies for the Brave, which helps veterans and their families. “Growing up in the military was a big influence on me—not only how much the people in the military sacrifice but the family,” Cauley shared. “Having to be away from your family is just the selfless job they do to give us the freedoms we have every day.”
Bud Cauley is still chasing his first PGA Tour victory, but if there’s one thing his journey proves, it’s that success isn’t just about talent. It’s about the people who shape you, the lessons you learn, and the mindset you develop along the way.
The post Meet Bud Cauley’s Parents, Bill & Melba Cauley: Lifestyle, Career & Other Details Explored appeared first on EssentiallySports.