The Memorial Tournament is one of the most famous tournaments in all of golf. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the event hosted by Jack Nicklaus. While most golfers build fond memories for winning at Muirfield Village, PGA Tour professional Bud Cauley remembers it for an entirely different reason.
Almost seven years ago to the day, on June 1, 2018, Cauley suffered a tragic fate.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide golfer had just missed the cut. While leaving the property in Ohio, he got into a car with Columbus Blue Jackets’ James Wisniewski, Tommy Nichols and local surgeon David Crawford. The latter of which was driving.
Less than a couple miles out, Crawford lost control of the vehicle and went careening off the road, going airborne into a tree.
Cauley sustained five broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a fractured lower left leg, according to Golfweek.
Crawford plead guilty to three counts of vehicular assault and was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation. Meanwhile, Cauley was staring at a long road to recovery.
As it turned out, the tragic accident was a blessing in disguise.
“It’s kind of funny, honestly,” said Cauley, who is tied for 26th at the Memorial following the third round. “I met my wife sorta because I was in that car accident. I was home in Florida recovering from the surgery and that’s when we met.
“The worst thing that’s ever happened to me led to me meeting my wife, then getting married and we have two kids now. The worst things that happened to me led to the best things that happened to me.
“I wouldn’t change it if I could,” Cauley said.
This week at The Memorial marked his first trip back to Muirfield Village in four years following complications from surgery. He has had a resurgent year on the PGA Tour in 2025.
He has made 10 of 11 cuts entering The Memorial, including four top 10s. Cauley came in hot, finishing solo third at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Although his third round derailed any hopes of winning his first PGA Tour event this week, Muirfield Village will always have special meaning to Bud Cauley.
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