Eight years after a car accident nearly ended his career, Bud Cauley finally has his name on a PGA Tour trophy.
The 36-year-old claimed his maiden PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, closing with a 5-under 65 in rain and wind at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley to finish at 17-under 263 and hold off a star-studded field including Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland.
The scenes on the 18th green were deeply emotional. Cauley was surrounded by his family as the magnitude of what he had achieved sank in.
“So many events without getting a win,” Cauley said. “But with everything that our family went through when I was out, and then to have my first win when everyone’s here, it kind of seems like perfect timing.”
Bud Cauley’s journey to this moment is one of the most remarkable in recent PGA Tour history. In June 2018, he was a passenger in a car involved in a serious accident at the Memorial Tournament, sustaining six broken ribs, a collapsed right lung, and a fractured left leg. He returned to golf later that year but suffered further medical complications in September 2020 and did not play professionally again until a Korn Ferry Tour event in January 2024.
“There were times when I was hurt that we really weren’t sure if I was going to be able to play again,” Cauley said.
Sunday’s win came in his 239th tour start, just over two years after finally making it back to the PGA Tour.
“I put my wife through so much during those dark times and it’s just nice to have a little success as a kind of a thank you,” he said.
How Bud Cauley Won
Bud Cauley began the final round one shot behind overnight leader Jackson Suber. He took control with a birdie chip-in from 93 feet on the par-4 12th, sparking a back-nine run that included birdies on 11, 13, and 15. A bogey on 17 briefly tested his nerves but he held firm, parring the par-5 18th to seal the victory.
“The conditions were so much different today than they were the first three days,” Cauley said. “I feel like my game was in a pretty good spot.”
The Rest of the Leaderboard
Matt Fitzpatrick finished outright second at 15-under after a brilliant final-round 64 that included an eagle on the 18th. The result moves Fitzpatrick into the FedEx Cup lead.
Viktor Hovland took third at 14-under with a 65. Suber, Jesper Svensson, Jimmy Stanger, and Brice Garnett all tied for fourth at 13-under.
Tommy Fleetwood, who had been among the leaders, finished tied 11th at 11-under after an even-par final round.
Cauley’s win also earned him the first of three qualifying spots for the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, with Suber and Svensson claiming the remaining two spots based on their world rankings.
