Justin Thomas had been waiting for many years to see American professional golfer Bud Cauley end his winless drought. On Sunday, Thomas finally got to see him win. Cauley won the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario, on June 14, 2026.

A final-round 65 lifted Cauley to 17-under, enough to hold off Matt Fitzpatrick. This was his first PGA Tour win after 239 starts, at the age of 36. The victory gave him 500 FedEx Cup points and moved him from No. 55 to No. 28 in the standings. Thomas, Cauley's former Alabama teammate and close friend, had two words on X.

"I love @BudCauley. Let's go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley are very close friends. Thomas was the best man at Cauley’s wedding, and they also lived together in Jupiter, Florida, after college.

Cauley finished ahead of Fitzpatrick, who finished two shots behind in second place, and Viktor Hovland, who shot a final-round 65 to finish third.

Cauley showed his emotions on the 18th green after the win. The victory came eight years after a serious car crash in 2018 in Dublin, Ohio, in June 2018 that left him with five broken ribs, a broken left leg, and a collapsed lung.

He returned to golf later in 2018, but injuries and health issues led him to stop again in 2020. He stayed away from professional golf for a long time and only returned in January 2024, when he played in a Korn Ferry Tour event.

"Just how hard that was," Cauley said after the win, when asked what he was thinking about as reported by Sky Sports.

"Just so many people helped me get here, and I'm just really thankful for all the help that I've gotten."

The final words went to another person who stood by him through his accident and recovery.

Bud Cauley Dedicated the Win to His Wife

Winning the trophy was the moment everyone saw. The personal recognition came right after. 

“Once I got the opportunity to start playing again, I told myself I was going to do everything the right way and give myself the best chance," Cauley said on the 18th green.

Medical complications in September 2020 kept him off the tour for a total of three years.

"I put my wife through so much during those dark times, and it’s just nice that a little success is kind of a thank you," he added.

Bud and his wife, Kristi McDonald Cauley, got engaged in 2019 and married in 2021, while he was not playing on the tour. They had their first son, Cooper William Cauley, in November 2022. Their second son, Miles Henry Cauley, was born on January 30, 2025.

Cauley returned to the PGA Tour at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open after regaining his PGA Tour card through a medical extension. In 2025, he recorded four top-10 finishes and made 13 cuts in 15 starts.

What did you think of Bud Cauley's first PGA Tour win at the RBC Canadian Open? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Surjo Ray