Bud Cauley’s return to the PGA Tour after a three-year absence was one of golf’s feel-good stories to kickstart 2024.
The American suffered six broken ribs, a broken leg and a collapsed lung when he was involved in a car accident in June 2018 and had to step away from professional golf in 2020 after complications arose following his initial recovery.
Now back competing on the PGA Tour after multiple surgeries, Cauley made his first appearance at the WM Phoenix Open where he finished 65th.
After so much time off the course, Cauley is in need of a helping hand and, with hall-of-fame caddie Tony Navarro on his bag, he certainly has the perfect man.
Navarro began as a PGA Tour caddie in 1978 for Slugger White at the Quad Cities Open, now known as the John Deere Classic.
His illustrious career of more than 45 years then saw him work for the likes of Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw, Hal Sutton and Jeff Sluman before he became the long-time caddie of Greg Norman in 1992. During the pair’s 12 years together they won 20 tournaments including the 1993 Open Championship at Royal St George’s.
Perhaps Navarro’s biggest opportunity came in 1999 when he was offered the chance to caddie for Tiger Woods after the American parted ways with Mike ‘Fluff’ Cowan. For Navarro, however, the offer was an easy one to turn down.
“Greg [Norman] looked after me so well for so many years. He did so many nice things for myself, my wife, my family,” he told the Caddie Network’s ‘Under the Strap’ podcast in 2020.
“Tiger Woods may be the greatest golfer to ever live. I’ve known Tiger since he was 16 years old but the things that Greg gave me are irreplaceable. For that reason and that reason alone, there was no way I was going to take any job.”
Tony Navarro previously caddied for Adam Scott
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When Norman’s playing days slowed down, Navarro moved on to work for the Australian’s protege Adam Scott for seven years which culminated in the pair finishing second at the 2011 Masters.
Following that, the American has worked with several household Tour names including Gary Woodland and Nick Watney. In 2023, he was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame.
Before working with Woodland, Navarro spent a brief spell with Cauley as he began his life on Tour. Several years on and the duo have now re-united as they look to get the former Walker Cup star back to his best.
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