"I Started to Tear Up": Bud Cauley Says Seeing Wife and Kids Made His First PGA Tour Victory More Emotional
Jun 14, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Bud Cauley celebrates with wife Kristi and sons Myles (left) and Cooper after winning the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Bud Cauley celebrates with wife Kristi and sons Myles (left) and Cooper after winning the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
After 239 career starts, professional golfer Bud Cauley tasted victory on the PGA Tour for the first time on Sunday. After putting it close on his second-to-last stroke, Cauley was emotional even before his family came onto the green.
Cauley won the 2026 RBC Canadian Open on June 14 at TPC Toronto in Caledon, Ontario. The golfer spoke to the media after the final round on June 14. When asked what it was like to see his family after the winning putt, Cauley admitted his emotional state.
“I hit that putt up there to a few inches, and I kind of stood on the front of the green, and I looked over and saw Kristi, Cooper, and Miles standing there, and I started to tear up.” Cauley said, “I tried to look down. I had a short putt, but I was trying and couldn't see, and so I thought I needed to clear my eyes before I could go up there and tap in.”
Jun 13, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Bud Cauley hits his tee shot at the second hole during the third round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Jun 13, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Bud Cauley hits his tee shot at the second hole during the third round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Celebrating his first PGA Tour victory with the people that mean the most to him got the 36-year-old teary-eyed, as he mentioned in the post-round presser.
Married to Kristi McDonald Cauley since 2021, Cauley has two sons: Cooper William Cauley(born Nov 2022) and Miles Henry Cauley (born Jan 2025).
Conditions tightened on Sunday: rain and wind turned TPC Toronto into a par-preservation test. But seven birdies over 18 holes pushed Cauley to victory. He later said the back nine had been very good to him all week.
A few lucky breaks helped him during the final round. He chipped in on the 12th hole, got a good lie on the 13th, and saw his tee shot on the 16th bounce back into play.
"Those good breaks went a long way for me today," he said.
His journey to this victory also included a major setback years earlier.
Bud Cauley Goes From Crash Survivor to Champion
In 2018, Cauley was in a car that crashed and flipped into a ditch. He suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken bone in his leg.
He returned to play at the Safeway Open four months later, but he still felt pain whenever he swung a golf club.
The metal plates placed in his chest after the crash caused more health problems and forced him to stop playing again before the 2021 Masters.
He stayed away from the PGA Tour for three years and returned at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open using a medical exemption. After his win in the RBC Canadian Open, Cauley now looks forward to the U.S. Open.
Can Bud Cauley keep this good form going and have a strong finish at the U.S. Open as well? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Surjo Ray