Former Alabama Crimson Tide golf star Bud Cauley secured his first PGA Tour victory nearly 15 years after earning his tour card with a triumph this past weekend at the RBC Canadian Open.

Cauley outlasted runner up Matt Fitzpatrick — who is currently one of the best players on the planet — including some other top names like Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood to earn the title.

What made Cauley’s victory even more special though was what he had to come back from. In 2018, his career — and his life — nearly ended when he was the passenger in an Ohio car accident that left him with five broken ribs, a broken left leg, and a collapsed lung. He was able to return to the game later that year, but had to step away in 2020 due to further medical complications from the accident.

It was not until 2024 that Cauley returned to the course professionally and had to earn his way back onto the PGA Tour, where he has played very well in some events but before this weekend had been unable to get it across the finish line and earn his first victory on tour.

“With everything that our family went through when I was out, to have my first win when everyone is here just kinda seems like perfect timing,” Cauley said. “That’s a moment I’ve thought a lot about, even last year a couple times when I was in contention…it would always kind of cross my mind that hopefully for my first win everyone would be here.”

Cauley said that once he approached the 18th green with victory in hand already and looked over to his family, he had to tap in the winning putt through tears in his eyes for a moment he, nor the rest of his family will ever forget.

Alabama fans who have followed the program for years will remember that Cauley was an absolute star when he played for the Crimson Tide, with arguably the most accomplished collegiate career in the history of the program. This of course does not guarantee professional success though, and Cauley had to take an unconventional path towards his first victory.

The journey though made it that much sweeter, and now no matter what happens for the rest of his career, Cauley will be able to say that he was a winner on the PGA Tour.