One of Bud Cauley’s worst moments happened at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday seven years ago, but that terrible moment reshaped his perspective on life in many ways: Life is a gift, and good golf isn’t nearly the most important thing. Those tenets have served him well in a remarkable comeback that grows more impressive by the week.

Good golf is still something to celebrate, though, and it appears Cauley is playing some of the best golf of his life after emerging from a lengthy injury hiatus. It’s also leading him back to the Memorial Tournament, the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Signature Event set for this coming week at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Cauley finished solo third at the Charles Schwab Challenge, three strokes back of winner Ben Griffin, to qualify for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday via the Aon Swing 5. He has now finished inside the top six in four of his last seven starts, and he has ascended to No. 36 on the season-long FedExCup standings. After fulfilling a medical extension earlier this season, Cauley is in prime position to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs and compete for a spot in the TOUR Championship.

“It's obviously exciting to get in those Signature Events,” Cauley said afterward. “It's a place I've played at a bunch and had a couple of good finishes, so I'm excited to get up there and play.”

The former top-ranked junior golfer is now 35, but he’s in line to deliver on so much of his potential – after a long and winding recovery that he could have never imagined. Seven years ago, Cauley was part of a car accident on the Friday night of Memorial week: “We went off the road, hit a culvert, flew up in the air and spun a little bit and we hit the side of a tree,” Cauley explained later. “When we hit the tree, it turned over and we flipped. And I guess we flipped across some other little trees and ended up in some grass.”

By all reports, Cauley was lucky not to be more seriously injured. He was visited in the hospital by Memorial Tournament host Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara, who lent their encouragement throughout his recovery. Months later, when Cauley visited the driving range for the first time in his rehab process, Nicklaus was on-hand at The Bear’s Club in south Florida.

“Mr. Nicklaus and Ms. Barbara both came to visit me in the hospital last year when I was in there,” Cauley said in 2019. “So they've been really nice through the whole thing. It's been great to have their support. …

“I was really fortunate with what happened last year to be able to come out and still play golf and do what I love to do.”

Cauley’s rehabilitation progress wasn’t linear. He returned to action just four months after the accident, but he stepped away again in fall 2020 and was sidelined for three-plus years due to further injuries that stemmed from complications after the accident. He competed on a PGA TOUR medical extension across 2024 and early 2025, fulfilling the terms of his medical extension with a tie for sixth at THE PLAYERS Championship in March – which earned him full TOUR status for the rest of 2025. His game has continued to ascend, with his third-place finish at Colonial marking his best result since the accident. It has led him back to the Memorial Tournament, a return that he’ll relish.

“I feel like I'm doing a lot of good things,” Cauley added. “You know, today it's obviously disappointing doubling 13 there. It's not even so much swings. It's decisions out there and trying to get over that hump, but happy with my game and just a couple of little things and get over the edge.”

Griffin leads Aon Next 10; Schmid tops Aon Swing 5

Fifteen players qualified for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday via the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5, categories that allow players to qualify for Signature Events despite finishing outside the top 50 on the prior year’s FedExCup standings.

The Aon Next 10 is comprised of the top 10 players on the season-long FedExCup standings into that week’s Signature Event, not otherwise exempt. The Aon Next 10 for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday includes Andrew Novak, Ben Griffin, Harris English, J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Daniel Berger, Justin Rose, Michael Kim, Jacob Bridgeman and Nick Taylor.

The Aon Swing 5 for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is comprised of the top five FedExCup points earners across the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and Charles Schwab Challenge, not otherwise exempt. The Aon Swing 5 for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday includes Matti Schmid, Ryan Fox, Bud Cauley, Harry Higgs and Mackenzie Hughes.

Fox won the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic in a playoff over Higgs and Hughes; the New Zealander chipped in for birdie from behind the green to win on the first extra hole, the par-4 18th at Dunes Golf and Beach Club.

Schmid finished runner-up at the Charles Schwab Challenge, one back of winner Ben Griffin, to earn his first career start at the Memorial Tournament. Schmid vaulted from No. 101 to No. 55 on the FedExCup standings with his showing at Colonial, a key movement as he eyes a FedExCup Playoffs berth (top 70 after the Wyndham Championship in August) – particularly with elevated points on offer at Signature Events.

“My first time playing a Signature Event. I'm really looking forward to it,” Schmid said afterward. “Finally, I made one Signature Event. I feel like I was close a couple of times in those Aon (Swing) 5, so I'm really looking forward to it.”