Following a devastating car accident eight years ago that put his golfing career in jeopardy, Bud Cauley has not only returned to the PGA Tour but has now claimed his first victory. Cauley secured the RBC Canadian Open title in a dramatic fashion, carding four birdies in a crucial five-hole stretch on the back nine to win by two strokes over Matt Fitzpatrick.
“There were times when I was injured that we genuinely weren’t sure if I would be able to play again,” Cauley shared. “There were moments and conversations with my wife, Kristi, where we were uncertain about the outcome. Once I was able to resume playing and felt more comfortable with my body and its ability to hold up, I always believed in my golf skills and my competitive drive. I knew I could win, but I also recognized the need to prove it to myself and go out and achieve it.”
The 36-year-old Cauley sustained significant injuries in June 2018 after a single-car accident near Muirfield Village Golf Club. As a passenger, he suffered six fractured ribs, a collapsed lung, a fractured left leg, and a concussion. He made his return to golf in October 2018 at the Safeway Open and subsequently qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in both 2019 and 2020. However, complications with his fractured ribs in late 2020 led to further surgeries and extended time away from professional golf.
Cauley Maintains Momentum for Four Rounds
While other contenders experienced fluctuations, Cauley displayed consistent strong play throughout the tournament. He posted scores of 69, 63, 66, and 65, achieving a final score of 17-under-par.
Matt Fitzpatrick finished in second place at 15-under after an eagle on the par-5 18th hole, closing with a 64. Viktor Hovland secured third place with a 65, finishing at 14-under. Four players, including third-round leader Jackson Suber, who shot an even-par 70, tied for fourth place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
Cauley, who started the final round one shot behind Suber, had a front nine that included three birdies and one bogey. He then surged into the lead with consecutive birdies on holes 11, 12, and 13, further extending his advantage with another birdie on the 15th to gain a four-shot lead.
A memorable moment during this stretch was his chip-in for birdie from 93 yards on the par-4 12th hole after his approach shot fell short.
“In recent weeks, I’ve struggled to maintain my momentum,” Cauley admitted. “I’ve been playing solid golf, but I would make a couple of birdies followed by a bogey, which would disrupt my rhythm. This week, it felt different; when I made a birdie, I was able to follow it up with more, truly keeping the momentum going.”
A bogey on the 17th hole, after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker, narrowed his lead over Fitzpatrick to two shots. Cauley played the final hole conservatively, laying up with his second shot, reaching the green in three, and making a tap-in par to secure the victory. The win earned him $1.764 million, and he celebrated with his wife, Kristi, and their two young sons.
“That’s a moment I’ve envisioned many times. Even last year, a couple of times when I was in contention, my family wasn’t with me, and I would always think about how I hoped everyone would be here for my first win,” Cauley shared. “Today, I had to try hard not to dwell on it. Obviously, with them being here and me playing well, I had to focus on almost every hole, staying present and not thinking about the potential celebration if I were to win.”
Fitzpatrick Takes FedExCup Lead
With his performance, Matt Fitzpatrick, who has already secured three wins this season, has moved ahead of Scottie Scheffler (who did not participate in the tournament) to take the lead in the FedExCup standings.
Both Fitzpatrick and Scheffler are preparing for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Fitzpatrick previously won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., where he also won the U.S. Amateur. A U.S. Open victory for Scheffler would complete his career Grand Slam.
Brooks Koepka, the 2018 U.S. Open champion at Shinnecock, withdrew from the Canadian Open after the third round due to an unspecified injury to his left hand, which affected his grip. His participation in the U.S. Open remains uncertain.
English Translation:
Bud Cauley’s Comeback Complete with First Win at Canadian Open
After a severe car accident eight years ago, Bud Cauley was unsure if he would ever be able to play golf again, let alone compete on the PGA Tour.
Cauley not only made a triumphant return to the sport’s highest level but also secured his first PGA Tour title in dramatic fashion. He made four birdies in a crucial five-hole stretch on the back nine to claim the RBC Canadian Open by two shots over Matt Fitzpatrick.
“There were times when I was injured that we genuinely weren’t sure if I was going to be able to play again,” Cauley said. “So there were moments and conversations that my wife Kristi and I had where we didn’t know if it was going to work out.
“Once I was able to start playing again and I felt more comfortable with my body and it holding up – I’ve always believed in my ability to play golf and play the game and be competitive – I knew I could win, but I also knew that I needed to prove it to myself and go out and do it.”
Cauley, 36, was injured in June 2018 after missing the cut at the Memorial Tournament. A backseat passenger in a severe single-car accident in a residential area near Muirfield Village Golf Club, Cauley sustained significant injuries: six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a fracture in his left leg, and a concussion.
He returned to golf in October 2018 at the Safeway Open and qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in both 2019 and 2020. However, in late 2020, complications arose with his six broken ribs, leading to more surgeries and a considerable time away from professional golf.
Cauley “Keeps it Going” for Four Rounds
While early tournament leaders faltered, Cauley maintained his strong performance. He posted rounds of 69-63-66-65 for a total of 17-under-par.
Fitzpatrick eagled the par-5 18th hole to close with a 64 and finish at 15-under. Viktor Hovland shot a 65 to finish third at 14-under. Four players tied for fourth, including third-round leader Jackson Suber, who finished with an even-par 70 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
Cauley, who began the final round one shot behind Suber, had three birdies and a bogey on his front nine. He then charged into the lead with birdies on holes 11, 12, and 13. He added another birdie at 15 to establish a four-shot lead.
The highlight of that stretch was his chip-in from 93 yards for birdie after coming up short on the par-4 12th hole.
“The last few weeks, it’s been like I haven’t been able to keep it going,” Cauley said. “I’m playing really solid golf, but it’s like I’ll make a couple of birdies and then make a bogey, and it kind of kills my momentum. This week, it seemed like when I made a birdie, I was able to back it up with a couple more and really keep that momentum going.”
A bogey at the 17th when he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker trimmed his lead over Fitzpatrick to two shots. Cauley played the finishing hole conservatively, laying up with his second shot, reaching the green in three, and rolling his first putt to within 10 inches of the cup. After making the tap-in par for the victory, which earned him $1.764 million, Cauley celebrated with Kristi and their two young sons.
“That’s a moment I’ve thought about a lot. Even last year a couple of times when I was in contention, my family wasn’t with me, and it would always cross my mind that hopefully for my first win everyone would be here,” Cauley said. “I had to try not to think about it a lot today. Obviously, with them being here and me playing well, I really had to think almost on every hole about staying focused and not thinking about that celebration if I were to win.”
Fitzpatrick Takes FedExCup Lead
Fitzpatrick, who has three wins this season, moved ahead of Scottie Scheffler, who did not play in the tournament, to take the lead in the FedExCup standings.
He and Scheffler are at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., for the U.S. Open. Fitzpatrick won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., where he also won the U.S. Amateur. With an Open victory, Scheffler will complete the career Grand Slam.
Brooks Koepka, who won the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, withdrew from the Canadian Open after the third round with a mysterious injury to his left hand that prevented him from gripping the club properly. His status for the Open was uncertain.
