Justin Thomas desperately desires Bud Cauley to win The Gamers.
“I’d do some actually, actually bizarre issues for Bud to win at this time,” Thomas mentioned after his remaining spherical at The Gamers.
“I in all probability wished it too dangerous. I used to be telling [my wife] Jill final night time, I used to be like a nervous dad or mum. I simply need him to play nicely so dangerous, as a result of I understand how dangerous he desires it. And it’s an enormous stage, it’s an enormous, large second. There’s a number of golf left, he hasn’t gotten off to the beginning he’s wished, I’m certain, however he’s proper there.”
Cauley, who performed with Thomas in faculty at Alabama, fired a 6-under 66 on Saturday and entered the ultimate spherical at TPC Sawgrass only one stroke off the lead held by J.J. Spaun. A local of Jacksonville, Cauley regarded slightly erratic on Sunday, posting a 2-over 38 on his entrance 9. Then the PGA Tour suspended play resulting from climate. Cauley, who’s now three strokes behind Rory McIlroy, is taking part in within the remaining group with Spaun and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover.
However a win for Cauley could be the last word redemption story as he has been by means of hell and again during the last decade. Simply hours after lacking the reduce on the 2018 Memorial Event, Cauley was in a horrible automotive accident. He instantly underwent surgical procedure to restore six damaged ribs, a fractured leg, and a collapsed lung.
“All of it occurred very quick. It simply was — it was rather a lot,” Thomas mentioned of that night time.
“Yeah, I wished to be there to see how my pal was doing, however, you recognize, it simply, it was a wild, loopy, weird, horrible night time. I wished to go be there to see him.”
Thomas visited him within the hospital that night time, and Cauley then went on to overlook 4 months, making his return on the Safeway Open later that fall. He would go on to play for a pair extra years, however then a ache in his facet started to trouble him within the fall of 2020.
That discomfort stemmed from the accident in June 2018.
“I went and noticed a few docs. They thought it was perhaps one of many plates I had in my chest. So I went to have the plates eliminated [in April 2021], they usually couldn’t get them out as a result of the bone had grown on high of them,” Cauley mentioned on the WM Phoenix Open in February 2024
“In order that they stitched me again up, mentioned, ‘I feel we’ll be okay, we took slightly scar tissue out, you’ll be fantastic.’ Then, 12 days later, my incision popped open. I’m simply standing in the home, [my wife] Christy goes, ‘Your shirt is type of moist.’ I take my shirt off; there’s only a gap within the facet of my chest.”
Cauley instantly went to the emergency room, the place one other surgical procedure awaited him.
Sadly, his incisions didn’t heal nicely, which led to extra journeys to the working room. These problems compelled him away from the sport from 2021 by means of the tip of 2023. He then returned to the PGA Tour final yr at TPC Scottsdale, the place he described his state of affairs as a “entire mess.”
“Man, he’s simply been by means of rather a lot,” Thomas mentioned Sunday.
“He’s had a number of accidents and simply battled a number of ups and downs and simply craziness. I’m simply completely satisfied to have him out right here and taking part in and seeing him on a regular basis once more. I’d like to see him end sturdy right here after which have an opportunity come the final gap or two.”
Throughout their youthful days on the PGA Tour, Thomas and Cauley lived collectively for 3 years in Jupiter, Florida, practising and hanging out with one another every single day.
“When he was going by means of the whole lot, simply making an attempt to be a pal, similar to I’d to anyone, not to mention only a peer out right here,” Thomas added on Sunday.
“Yeah, we simply tried to maintain his spirits up as a lot as doable as a result of it’s fairly laborious to do this.”
Ten years in the past, Cauley was an upcoming PGA Tour star destined for glory. However thanks to those wild circumstances, he has but to win on the PGA Tour. His lone skilled victory got here on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2014.
A win at TPC Sawgrass would change that, nevertheless. And if Cauley can get up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 eleventh gap after play resumes, he’ll re-enter the dialog and lurk simply two strokes again. All he wants is an opportunity, as Cauley has confirmed himself to be a fighter. And if he succeeds, Thomas can be proper there by his facet, celebrating, and doing God solely is aware of what.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.