Bud Cauley is making his first PGA Tour start in over three years at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open, following a series of surgeries due to injuries from a 2018 car accident, after competing in two Korn Ferry Tour events and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to return to the sport he loves.
At Glance
‣ The 2024 WM Phoenix Open has attracted top players including Scottie Scheffler, despite not being a PGA Tour signature event.
‣ Bud Cauley is making his first PGA Tour start in over three years at the event, following a series of surgeries due to a car accident in 2018 that significantly impacted his career.
‣ Cauley faced severe challenges in his recovery, including complications from surgeries to remove plates in his chest, leading to further surgeries after his incision popped open unexpectedly.
‣ Despite the setbacks, Cauley is grateful for the opportunity to return to professional golf, emphasizing how much he missed the sport and how fortunate he feels to be able to play again.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn5LrM0u3xJ/
Oh, the 2024 WM Phoenix Open? It’s not the crown jewel of the PGA Tour, but guess what? It’s still a magnet for the crème de la crème, including the champ, Scottie Scheffler. He’s not alone, though; several top 10 world players are joining the fray.
Now, here’s a curveball – Bud Cauley. Remember him? It’s been a hot minute since his last PGA Tour appearance. We’re talking over three years, folks. His last gig was at the 2020 Safeway Open, now known as the Fortinet Championship. He snagged a T14, which is nothing to sneeze at. But, oh, how the mighty have fallen. From being World No.53, a car accident in 2018 threw a wrench in his career trajectory.
June 2018, Dublin, Ohio. A car crash that could’ve been the end of the line for Cauley. But, nope, he was back on the PGA Tour faster than you can say “comeback,” just four months later. Yet, the saga didn’t end there. Fast forward almost two years, and Cauley had to hit pause on his career. Why? To undergo a series of surgeries for injuries from that crash.
Before the WM Phoenix Open, Cauley spilled the beans to the media. The surgeries were more complicated than anyone thought. “I broke six ribs in that accident,” he said, adding a bit about the ordeal with the plates in his chest. Turns out, the bone decided to cozy up to the plates, making removal a no-go.
And then, as if things couldn’t get weirder, his incision burst open. Just like that. Standing at home, and his wife, Christy, notices his shirt’s wet. A hole in his chest. Yikes.
More surgeries followed. But Cauley? He’s a fighter. By September, he was eyeing a return to competitive golf, barely swinging a club since April 2021. Come January, he’s on Instagram, dropping the news of his comeback. “I’m coming back,” he declared, aiming to hit a couple of Korn Ferry Tour events before making a grand return to the PGA Tour.
True to his word, he played in the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, finishing T21. Then, at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, he landed a T35. Not too shabby, eh?
Now, with 185 PGA Tour appearances and 23 top-10 finishes under his belt, Cauley’s set to make waves at the TPC Scottsdale event. And he’s not taking any of it for granted. “It’s hard to put into words how much you miss something,” he mused, reflecting on his journey back to the game he loves. To him, being able to play golf again is a privilege, a second chance at doing what he enjoys most. And that, my friends, is the heart of a true sportsman.
