CALEDON, Ontario — Bud Cauley took the lead with a birdie chip on the par-4 12th hole and won the Canadian Open in rain and wind Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, eight years after his golf career nearly ended in a car crash at the Memorial Tournament.
The 36-year-old Cauley won in his 239th start on the PGA Tour, just more than two years after the former University of Alabama standout from Florida finally returned to competition.
“There were times when I was hurt that we really weren’t sure if I was going to be able to play again,” said Cauley, who was a passenger in a car when he sustained six broken ribs, a collapsed right lung and fractured left leg.
Sunday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, he closed with a 5-under-par 65 to finish the 72-hole tournament at 17-under 263. He began the round a stroke behind Jackson Suber.
“So many events without getting a win,” Cauley said. “But with everything that our family went through when I was out, and then to have my first win when everyone’s here, just, it kind of seems like perfect timing.”
Cauley started his back-nine birdie run with a shot to four feet on the 206-yard 11th. He added the hole-out from 93 feet on 12, then made a 13 1/2-footer on 13 and a 15-footer on 15 — both par 4s. After a bogey on the par-4 17th, he parred the par-5 18th.
“It was obviously playing difficult with the rain and the wind,” Cauley said. “The conditions were so much different today than they were the first three days. I feel like my game was in a pretty good spot, I was hitting some pretty good shots.”
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who eagled the 18th for a closing 64, finished second to take the lead in the FedEx Cup points standings. Norway’s Viktor Hovland was third at 14 under after a 65, while Suber (70), fellow American players Brice Garnett (68) and Jimmy Stanger (67), and Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (68) were another stroke back to share fourth place.
Suber, in his second year on the PGA Tour, missed out on his first career win, but his result was good enough to secure a spot in next month’s British Open at Royal Birkdale as well as at the Travelers Championship that starts June 25 in Connecticut. The 26-year-old will make his major debut this week in the U.S. Open, which tees off Thursday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on New York’s Long Island.
“I definitely peaked up at the board a few times, which I’ve been doing a good job of not looking at the leaderboard this week, and maybe let that get to me a little bit today,” Suber said. “But to be able to play in the U.S. Open next week, Travelers (Championship) and then the British Open, I mean, that’s a pretty big schedule change, especially coming into the year with conditional status.
“So really looking forward to those. Never been to Europe, so looking forward to that as well.
Chattanooga native Keith Mitchell finished at 8 under to tie for 29th, moving down eight spots in the final round. The Baylor School graduate’s closing 69 was capped by his fourth birdie of the day, but he lost ground with a trio of bogeys on the back nine.
Champions victory at home
DES MOINES, Iowa — Zach Johnson won the Principal Charity Classic in his debut in his home-state event on the PGA Tour Champions, shooting a 5-under 67 for a four-stroke victory at Wakonda Club.
Johnson grew up in Cedar Rapids, about two hours away. He finished the 54-hole tournament 17-under 199 for his second victory in his first season on the 50-and-older tour.
“Pure gratitude. It’s times like this where you really reflect on, obviously the journey, reflect on the people surrounding you and helping, encouraging you,” Johnson said. “That’s where I go. That’s where I go first, that’s where I go last, certainly.
“I mean, given this week and all that it entails being back home, then literally in a place I used to live, I felt like I had already won before I teed off. That honestly gave me a lot of freedom to just play. Hard to really encompass all the emotions in that regard, but a lot of peace.”
Johnson opened with a 69 at Wakonda and shot a 63 on Saturday. He won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in his senior debut in March.
Australia’s Richard Green (68) and South Africa’s Retief Goosen (70) tied for second. Australia’s David Bransdon (71) and American player Brett Quigley (72) shared fourth place at 12 under.
First LPGA win for both
MIDLAND, Mich. — Gina Kim and Yana Wilson teamed to win the Dow Championship for their first LPGA Tour victories, with the American players closing with an 8-under 62 in best-ball play for a two-stroke victory over South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi and Hyo Joo Kim.
Gina Kim and Wilson finished the 72-hole tournament at Midland Country Club at 17-under 263.
“I haven’t been in a leading position for a long time,” the 19-year-old Wilson said. “Even as a team, I feel like both of us haven’t been in this leading position. We walked down 18 just now, and we were like: ‘Does this feel weird to you? Like, this is so weird.’ So it’s a little nervy out there. I feel like we handled it really well.”
Gina Kim holed out from the fairway for eagle on the par-4 fifth.
“I knew I hit a really good shot. and I was thinking, ‘Oh, OK, maybe I’ll tap in in for birdie.’ And then it just disappeared,” she said. “I think that really set the tone for the day.”
The 26-year-old won in her 64th start on the LPGA Tour, while Wilson was making the ninth start of her rookie season.
“This has been the most fun week,” Gina Kim said. “It’s been tough, and it’s nice to have a really good friend to be able to do this by.”
Last year, Wilson — the 2022 USGA Girls’ Junior Championship winner — was second and Gina Kim third on the Epson Tour money list to earn LPGA cards.
“Part of the reason I asked Yana to be my partner is we actually played in the final group on Epson and we’ve played together numerous times,” Gina Kim said. “So, I knew she was really, really good under pressure and I trusted her.”
Hyo Joo Kim and Choi finished with a 65.
Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im had a 61 to tie for third at 14 under with former UCLA teammates Alison Lee and Lilia Vu (64).
Juli Inkster, who at 66 became the oldest player in LPGA history to make the cut in an official event, teamed with Angel Yin to tie for 12th at 9 under. They closed with a 64.
“We had an amazing time,” Inkster said. “Angel played amazing.”
Nelly Korda and Olivia Cowan tied for 17th at 8 under. They rebounded from a third-round 76 with a 66. Korda was coming off a victory in the U.S. Women’s Open for her second straight major victory.