Seven years ago, a devastating car crash nearly ended a promising golf career. Driven by David Crawford, the vehicle slammed into a large tree, flipped in the air, and landed with a violent crash. The impact left its passenger with several broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed lung, and a fractured bone in the lower leg. At the time, few believed he would ever tee it up again. But William “Bud” Cauley had other plans—stunning the golf world with a comeback that showcased true showmanship.

After years of surgeries, rehab, and back and forth, when Cauley returned to the course, the crowd had little hope. But Cauley looked determined to cement his name among the top players once again. After a rough start, falling out of the Top 10 in his first three events and a missed cut at the Puerto Rico Open, things finally began picking up heat at the Players Championship. Cauley finished round 1 with a stellar 4-under 68, one of the highest margins of the day. His performance remained consistent for the rest of the rounds, although the last round saw a slight fall with 2-over par. Even though Cauley didn’t win the Players Championship, he finished T6 for the event, a great comeback given his accident just a few years back.

Bud Cauley is currently teeing it off at Memphis for the St. Jude Championship. Sharing the greens with his Walker Cup teammate in 2009, Rickie Fowler, he is playing alongside the support that has kept him going, even through the accident. After round 3 of the FedEx Cup event, Cauley’s former teammate Rickie Fowler shared his thoughts on his comeback. In the post-round press conference, the interviewer asked Fowler what he felt about the season Cauley has put together after his serious injury back in 2018. Fowler didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the resilience he has shown ever since that dreaded incident. “It’s been awesome to see Bud have some solid golf, some good finishes.”

Fowler took a moment to recall the stretch of hardships that followed his 35-year-old mate. “Seeing what he’s gone through from the accident a handful of years ago, all the surgeries, rehab, all of that, playing with him at home when things were starting to get close, playing with him last year – we played a bit in the fall. He was swinging really well. It was obviously just getting it out and doing it in tournaments.” Cauley first returned to play after only 4 months of the accident. While he returned to play later in 2018 and in 2019, complications sidelined him until his comeback at a Korn Ferry event in January 2024.

Fowler added how happy he felt since his “buddy” was back on the course and doing what he loved best. “It’s nice to see him finally back out playing some golf after those handful of years where he was kind of back and forth, dealing with it seemed like one problem after another. It’s been really fun to watch. Obviously, Bud is a good buddy of mine, Walker Cup teammates back in ’09, so yeah, really happy for him,” Fowler added.

Bud Cauley’s comeback performance at FedEx

Apart from the flyover tribute to FedEx founder Fred Smith, the players paid their homage on the ground. Among the Top 10, Bud Cauley shone alongside players like Tommy Fleetwood and Scottie Scheffler. It’s pretty safe to say, Cauley reigned the course with multiple back-to-back birdies. Cauley shot 8 birdies in the first round, followed by 3 birdies on Friday and 4 more on Saturday. However, bogeys on holes 12 and 14 in the third round slowed his momentum. A punishing double-bogey on hole 17 then dragged him down the leaderboard.

Cauley put on a consistent show throughout the St. Jude Championship in all three rounds. Heading into the Sunday pressure, Cauley has a T10 to defend. More importantly, Cauley is back on the greens, recovering from his accident one step at a time. However, what caught attention was Cauley’s humble way of dealing with his rib injuries, 6 to be exact!

Cauley remarked on Instagram earlier this year that his injuries had stalled his career. However, nothing changed his life quite like becoming a father. “Well, I thought the car crash was life-altering, and then we had a couple kids and that was really life-altering,” Cauley remarked on his experience being a father.

Now, with his game back on track and a renewed perspective off the course, Cauley is embracing every moment. For him, the joy of fatherhood and the grind of competition go hand in hand.