As seen in the 2025 Ryder Cup, Justin Thomas thrives under pressure and often seeks reactions from fans. On the course, he can be a demanding opponent, even for fellow pros. When Bud Cauley considers who to call for a practice round before an event, Thomas might not be the first choice, even with his major titles and experience as a former world No. 1.

During an interview on The Golfer’s Journal on YouTube, Cauley was asked who his preferred choice for a pre-tournament warm-up round of golf is. He told Tom Coyne, “(Daniel) Berger gets the chirpiest out there. Sometimes it’s nice, he gets into it and plays really well. But when he has to pay you too, sometimes, that’s fun also. So it’s always good to get out there with Berger and see what kind of mood he is in,” as he is enjoying a great run of form in 2025, thanks to his intense practice rounds with Berger. For anyone who doesn’t know, Daniel Berger and Bud Cauley are close friends and have been since their college days.

Since both of them were born in Florida, they spent a lot of their junior years together before Bud moved to Alabama for college. Berger and Cauley also often travel together. Since both of them also reside in Jupiter, Florida, they also connect and practice golf together every opportunity they get. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that Cauley prefers Berger’s company when practicing for a PGA Tour event, even if he is the chirpiest pro to play with out there.

But that didn’t stop the 35-year-old from mentioning Justin Thomas. In fact, when host Coyne asked who he hangs out with or plays golf with in Florida, Cauley said, “JT and I play a lot together. Berger’s out here. He’s always good for a game. Lucas Glover, we have the same coach, so we spend a lot of time together. Camilo (Villegas) is out here a lot. We’ll play. Akshay (Bhatia) just joined; Cameron Young, you never know. It’s like, you never know. You might go on the range just to hit a couple of balls, and then you kind of fall into a game. So that’s pretty fun.”

While Thomas might not be Cauley’s first choice for a practice round, he was the first pro to come to mind when the question was asked. They may play together more often than Cauley hinted, even if Thomas isn’t as outgoing as someone like Berger on the course. But just how close are Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley? Let’s take a closer look at their friendship.

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Is Justin Thomas a close friend of Bud Cauley?

Unlike Daniel Berger, Justin Thomas wasn’t born in Florida. So he might not have had the opportunity to connect with Bud Cauley during the early stages of his career. However, they crossed paths during their college years, as both of them graduated from the University of Alabama.

In fact, their bond grew so strong during the time that the two also decided to be roommates when they moved to Jupiter after their college years. They lived, hung out, and practiced together for three years before getting their own places. In fact, Thomas also spoke about this during the The PLAYERS Championship 2025 press conference

Thomas was hoping for Cauley to win the tournament. He said, “When he was going through everything, just trying to be a friend, just like I would to anybody, let alone just a peer out here,” talking about the early years they spent together, as reported on SB Nation. In the end, Bud Cauley finished at T6 in the tournament, only 3 strokes away from Rory McIlroy.

Still looking for his first PGA Tour win, he would receive a lot of support from Justin Thomas & Daniel Berger to achieve his goal soon. After all, he is enjoying a spectacular season with four top-10 finishes already.