In life and golf, nothing’s guaranteed. Just ask Bud Cauley, whose journey from the amateur ranks to the PGA Tour is a testament to resilience and the game’s unpredictable nature. A standout at the University of Alabama, Cauley leaped the pro circuit without enduring the trials of Q School. He joined the ranks of legends like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as you now know his talent.
But despite early promise, he struggled to capture a win, going seven years without a victory on Tour. After that, though, Cauley’s world changed after a devastating car accident at the Memorial Tournament.
With six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a broken leg, he was lucky to be alive. Yet, he fought back, returning to the course that same year. But the scars, both physical and mental, would prove troublesome to shake. It wasn’t until nearly three years later that the 33-year-old finally returned to the PGA Tour. Cauley recently opened up about the hurdles he faced, offering a raw look at the battles behind his return.
In the latest episode of the 5 Clubs, Bud Cayley joined in as one of the guests. During their discussions, Gary Williams stated how the car accident had been a part of the PGA Tour Pro’s road journey but then changed its course. It made him feel at his best, both mentally and physically.
But he questioned Cauley about the time taken to trust he was a golfer again. To which, he answered, “It’s hard to say, you know, it’s changed me forever, obviously. I think I’m at a point now where I feel comfortable knowing that my routine and the things that I know I need to do will allow me to stay healthy and keep playing. But now, it’s not the same. I noticed that when I stop thinking about it all the time…”
Bud Cauley shared that for a long time, he feared the injury might resurface at any moment, bringing pain and possibly taking golf away from him again. However, he explained that those thoughts no longer haunt him.
“I wake up, and I don’t think about playing as an injured golfer or someone who could potentially get hurt again,” he said. He also mentioned that he feels stronger than ever, noting that while things may not be the same before, “when I’m out there playing, I don’t feel any pain. It’s not even on my mind anymore.”
However, no matter how strong Bud Cauley might have come out, it was not always the case. The initial times during the accident almost made him feel like golf was slipping out of his life. And it sure turned ugly for him.
PGA Tour Pro Bud Cauley confesses the shining light in his life!
Bud Cauley made his long-awaited return to competition at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open. He explained the emotional impact of his comeback, saying, “It’s hard to put into words how much you miss something when you grow up doing it every day. When it gets taken away, it really changes your perspective on just how fortunate we are to play golf and to do something we enjoy.”
At the Phoenix Open, he finished tied for 65th with a score of 2-under par. Reflecting on his journey after Round 3 at TPC Sawgrass, Cauley adopted a nostalgic tone. He had competed in 17 PGA Tour events that year, making the cut in 10—a solid performance for someone who was absent from the tour for nearly three years.
He admitted, “Obviously, I was out for a long time, and when I first came back, I felt ready. But looking back, my first tournament was Phoenix last year, and I reflected on that this year while playing Phoenix again.” His efforts seem to be paying off.
At the Phoenix Open this season, Cauley finished 21st with a 10-under-par score. Just last weekend, he came close to securing his first PGA Tour win, finishing tied for 5th at The PLAYERS Championship. However, the journey did not start easy.
“It did make me sad. The thing that was hardest too, looking back on it, I remember telling my trainer, Colby, that I really missed playing professional golf,” he said in the 5 Clubs episode. A few years after the accident, the Jacksonville-area native and his wife, Kristi, got married in 2021.
The couple welcomed their first child, Cooper William Cauley, on November 14, 2022. Therefore, the thought of not being able to play golf with his son petrified him.
“Golf had always been such a big part of my life, and I loved playing professionally, but I always envisioned playing with our kids in the future, with our family. The idea that he would grow up and maybe develop an interest in golf, and I wouldn’t be able to participate in that because I was hurt, was a really tough pill to swallow,” added Cauley.
The birth of his son, Cooper, essentially motivated his speedy return to the golf course!
“Even if I couldn’t get well enough to play professionally again, I wanted to heal enough where I could play golf and enjoy it with him,” he said. Well, who knows, maybe Cooper’s birth was just the acceleration the PGA Tour Pro needed to gear up for something great. Stay tuned to find out what’s in store for him this season.
The post ‘It’s Not the Same’: After a Tragic Accident, PGA Tour Pro Opens Up About His ‘Forever’ Changed Reality appeared first on EssentiallySports.