Bud Cauley Bio
William Carl “Bud” Cauley III (born March 16, 1990) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, he turned professional in 2011 after a standout amateur career at the University of Alabama, where he earned three consecutive first-team All-American honors. Cauley gained attention for his composure as a young player and for earning a PGA Tour card without going through qualifying school. Over the years, he has battled back from a serious car accident to continue competing at the sport’s highest level.
Standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, Cauley combines patience with a steady short game, traits that helped him rise through the junior and amateur ranks. He currently resides in Florida and remains an active competitor on tour, known for his perseverance and quiet professionalism.
Early Life and Background
Bud Cauley was born on March 16, 1990, in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he was home-schooled by his parents. Growing up along Florida’s Atlantic coast gave him year-round access to courses, and he quickly emerged as one of the country’s most promising young players. He was ranked top-five nationally in junior golf and inside the top 15 in the world at the junior level.
As a teenager, Cauley represented the United States at the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup and was a member of the 2008 USA Junior World Golf Championships team. He was also a co-medalist at the 2008 Toyota World Junior Amateur Championships. By the time he moved up to amateur events, he had reached the No. 1 spot in the junior golf rankings, a sign of the consistency and maturity that defined his early development.
Path to Professional Golf
Cauley played college golf for the University of Alabama, where he became one of the best players in the program’s history. He was a three-time first-team Golfweek All-American during his three years in Tuscaloosa and a finalist for the Hogan Award, given to the top college golfer, in each of those seasons. In 2009, he was named the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Year and posted a 3-0-1 record for the U.S. team at the Walker Cup.
His amateur résumé also included wins at the Players Amateur in 2008, which earned him a spot in the 2010 Verizon Heritage on the PGA Tour, and the Terra Cotta Invitational that same year. At the 2009 U.S. Amateur, he beat the world’s top-ranked amateur, Rickie Fowler, in the first round of match play. After his junior year at Alabama, Cauley qualified for the 2011 U.S. Open, made the cut, and chose to turn professional, forgoing his senior season.
Bud Cauley Career
Early Career (2011–2012)
In his rookie season of 2011, Cauley made seven cuts in eight PGA Tour starts, including a tie for fourth at the Viking Classic and a solo third at the Frys.com Open. Those results earned him roughly $735,150 and the equivalent of 116th on the money list, a strong start that allowed him to bypass Q School and join a short list of players who reached the PGA Tour directly out of college.
During 2012, Cauley recorded four top-10 finishes and climbed into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking by the end of July. His consistency confirmed that his rookie year was no fluke, and he established himself as a steady presence on the PGA Tour.
Korn Ferry and PGA Tour Breakthrough (2013–2020)
The 2013 season proved more difficult, as Cauley made only 10 cuts in 24 events and was forced to play the Web.com Tour Finals to keep his card. He finished 18th in the Finals and retained his PGA Tour status for 2014, showing the resilience that would later define his career.
In June 2018, Cauley suffered five broken ribs, a broken left leg, and a collapsed lung in a car crash in Dublin, Ohio. He returned to competition in October 2018 and played select events over the following two years, but in September 2020 he developed medical complications that kept him out of action. He did not return to professional golf until a Korn Ferry Tour event in January 2024, where he earned a victory that helped him work his way back toward the PGA Tour.
PGA Tour Return and First Win (2024–2026)
After his Korn Ferry comeback, Cauley continued to grind his way back to the game’s top level. In June 2026, he won the RBC Canadian Open for his first PGA Tour victory, doing so in his 239th career start on tour. The breakthrough was the culmination of a long road back from his 2018 car accident and his 2020 health setbacks.
The Canadian Open title also pushed Cauley to a career-high Official World Golf Ranking of 40 on June 14, 2026, a marker of how far he had climbed since returning to competitive golf.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cauley is known for a steady, position-based approach that prioritizes fairways and greens over raw distance. His strengths include accurate iron play, a reliable short game, and the patience to grind out pars on difficult courses. Teammates and competitors often note his calm temperament, which has been especially valuable in the high-pressure moments of his comeback story.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most memorable moments of his career are his 2008 Players Amateur win, his 3-0-1 record at the 2009 Walker Cup, and his first PGA Tour victory at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. His return to professional golf in January 2024, after years away due to injury and illness, also stands as a defining milestone in his career.
Bud Cauley Career Wins
Bud Cauley has accumulated two professional victories, one on the PGA Tour and one on the Korn Ferry Tour. His first win came in January 2024 on the Korn Ferry Tour as he worked his way back from injury, and his second came at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open, his first PGA Tour title.
PGA Tour Highlights
Cauley earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open, doing so in his 239th start on tour. The win capped a remarkable comeback from the serious injuries he suffered in 2018 and the medical complications that followed in 2020. It also marked his first appearance in the winner’s circle at the top level of professional golf.
Korn Ferry Tour Highlights
In January 2024, Cauley returned to competition with a victory on the Korn Ferry Tour. The win signaled his return to form after a multi-year absence and was a key step in regaining status on the PGA Tour. He has since built on that momentum with consistent play and a return to major-championship fields.
Bud Cauley Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Cauley was raised in Daytona Beach, Florida, by parents who home-schooled him and supported his early development in golf. Their guidance allowed him to travel to junior tournaments around the country while keeping up with his education.
Personal Life
Cauley has spent much of his professional life based in Florida, where he can practice year-round. He is known for keeping his personal life private, focusing public attention on his golf and his recovery from the 2018 car accident and 2020 health issues.
2025 Season Performance
By 2025, Cauley had settled back into a rhythm on the PGA Tour, building on the momentum of his January 2024 Korn Ferry Tour victory. He worked his way into a steady schedule of events, focusing on consistency and full-field play as he rebuilt his card and ranking.
As the season progressed, Cauley posted enough solid finishes to remain inside the fields at several marquee stops, gradually earning his way back into the rhythm of week-to-week PGA Tour competition. His experience and calm demeanor were credited by observers as reasons for his steady improvement.
Heading into 2026, Cauley carried that consistency into the early months of the year, setting the stage for his breakthrough at the RBC Canadian Open in June. The 2025 season, in many ways, served as the bridge between his Korn Ferry comeback and his first PGA Tour title.
