Guest Post: 22-year-old Bud Cauley Shared Opening Round Lead at McGladrey Classic

Right now is an exciting time for golf. There’s a perfect mix of young and old players, but there’s no shortage of extreme talent and sportsmanship. At the McGladrey Classic, Bud Cauley, a 22-year-old PGA Tour rookie and Marco Dawson, a 48-year-old hardened veteran, shared the lead after going 8-under 62s Thursday, but Bud failed to keep his lead going and finished with a -8 and tied for 20th. Cauley is a mere rookie, and has only been in the professional golf world for two years, so being in first place for any length of time should be an impressive achievement. It’s no secret that Cauley has the determination to go out there and do his best to win every event that he’s included in, and it shows. Although Tommy Gainey won the McGadrey Classic with a course record of 60, I’m sure even he would be impressed with the kid’s attitude. Cauley is among an elite group of players who have gone straight from college to the PGA Tour without having to go through Q-school. Not only that, but he’s ranked 55 in the world of golf. “Obviously, I've thought about winning every tournament I've teed up in this year," Cauley said. "It's been a long year, and although I've played a lot this year, I haven't won. It's still a goal of mine, but I'm not thinking about that while I'm out there, or putting any more pressure on myself this week. The season is kind of winding down. It would be great to win here." Cauley has been in a number of tournaments, but this could be his first real shot to take home a win. He has also earned over 17 million dollars this year. While Cauley is living the dream, Dawson isn’t quite as happy. Dawson is number 216 on the money list this year, and he has only made $62,000 in 20 tournaments so far. In addition to placing in the money list, the top 125 would get full cards for next year as well. Can the 22-year-old rookie win it all in future tournaments? Can a professional be taken down by a lad only two years into his golf career? About the author: Joe Petchonka is a dedicated sports writer who enjoys writing about the latest golf trends, news, and even the best designed imprinted golf balls for professional golfers.