Q. The last time you played this course under these conditions might have been the 2007 Junior PLAYERS.
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, that was way back. It was tough today. Seemed like every hole was a challenge with the wind and just trying to somehow get it on the fairway and get it on the green and roll in a putt, but it was tough.
Q. You had a lot of birdies, a few bogeys here and there. When you're playing well out there, what's working well? Is it the irons?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, I've hit a lot of good iron shots. I hit a couple today I wasn't too pleased with. But I feel like the most important thing is just putting the ball in the fairway. I've been driving the ball pretty well all week and I've also been putting well. I feel like when I've had those 10, 12, 15 footers for birdie, I've been able to make most of them, and that's helped a lot.
Q. How many rounds do you think you've played around here?
BUD CAULEY: It's probably definitely the best round I've played around here. I grew up here, lived here for a little while after college, but I couldn't tell you how many times I've played here, but that was --
Q. Quite a few, though?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, a bunch, and that was the best I've played.
Q. Have you seen conditions like this before? Maybe not during a tournament --
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, if it was blowing this hard, I probably would have just went home. Probably not.
Q. Given all that, where does a 66 on this course in these conditions, it's got to rank pretty high, as much golf as you've played. Still got to be up there?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, it was a great round. Always great to finish that way, too, birdieing three of the last four. Yeah, it was great. Makes lunch taste a little better.
Q. Since you got out of Alabama and got out on TOUR have you gone back to Windsor Parke and played?
BUD CAULEY: No, I haven't been out there in a little while, but that would be fun, I'd enjoy going out there and playing.
Q. Who's caddying for you this week?
BUD CAULEY: His name is David Gies.
Q. What's the process been like to get back to this level in your game?
BUD CAULEY: Obviously I was out for a long time, and it's funny, when I first came back and started playing again, I really felt ready. Then I kind of reflected -- my first tournament was Phoenix last year, and I kind of reflected on that this year playing Phoenix again. I wasn't quite as ready as I thought I was, just having a year under my belt again and playing.
I've tried to just really practice with a purpose and just make little changes and just get a little bit better. I feel like some things are starting to come together that I've been working on for a while now.
Q. How does being in a near life-altering experience, how does that change your perspective or how has it changed your perspective going forward? Do you appreciate things a little bit more? Do you not stress as much as you might have? How did that change you?
BUD CAULEY: Well, I thought the car accident was life altering, and then we had a couple kids and that was really life altering.
Yeah, it does. It makes you appreciate things a lot more, and yeah, as far as even my golf goes, it does put that in perspective. When I do have bad days, it's not the end of the world. Just come out and try again tomorrow.
Q. How old were you when you first came out to this event, do you think?
BUD CAULEY: I don't know, I had to be probably five or six. That was about right when I started golfing and we were living here at the time. Yeah, probably five or six years old.
Q. Were you ever a standard bearer or anything like that?
BUD CAULEY: No, I never did that. Just come out here every day, Monday through Sunday, watch all the golf. Obviously would dream about playing. I have a lot of great memories of even like shots I was here for. I was here when Tiger made his "better than most" putt on 17 and watched Freddy chip in left-handed on 8. I have some funny memories watching the golf here.
Q. Is there a guy you made a point of watching trying to follow?
BUD CAULEY: I always followed Len Mattiace when he was playing, another Jacksonville guy, he was one of my favorites, so I'd always go out and watch Lennie play.
Q. You weren't out there at 17 that one year, were you?
BUD CAULEY: I wasn't there, no, not that year.
Q. What would it mean to you to win this tournament, in the town you grew up in?
BUD CAULEY: I mean, it would be amazing. It's always been my favorite tournament every year. Even though I haven't played my best when I've come here, just growing up and all the memories I have of being here, it's always my favorite week, so it would mean a lot.
Q. How long have you lived in Palm Beach Gardens?
BUD CAULEY: Since 2015.
Q. What has your friendship with Justin meant with that move and being close to him and his friendship to you?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, it's been great. J.T. and I are really close friends, play a lot together at home. Our families hang out a lot now.
It's been great. He's obviously had an amazing career, and I try to pick his brain sometimes when I can if we're out playing.
But even more than that, it's not even really golf specific. It's just we talk more about life and stuff like that than we do about golf.
Q. How much Alabama football do you guys watch together?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, quite a bit. He and I are similar where we like it dead quiet so we can hear. If things aren't going well we get quiet, so we're similar in that regard.
Q. How much are you looking at the point totals now that the exemption is starting to click away?
BUD CAULEY: I couldn't tell you. I haven't looked at how many points I need. I've always thought good golf will take care of all of that. To answer your question, none, not at all.
Q. What would you be doing this weekend if you hadn't gotten in the field?
BUD CAULEY: Well, we have just over a month old at home, so changing diapers and not sleeping very well.
Q. What was the most difficult shot you faced today in those conditions?
BUD CAULEY: The most difficult shot?
Q. All of them?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, just the circumstance of 17 was a tough shot, playing straight downwind, trying to land it just on top there and get it to stop.
But 13 and 14 playing straight back into the wind. I hit a great tee shot on 14 and a really good iron shot back there and gave myself a look at birdie. Holes that are howling into you and a little bit off the left and there's trouble on both sides can be pretty challenging.
Q. What was your reaction when you got the call on Monday?
BUD CAULEY: Yeah, it was great. I was out practicing at Bear's Club actually and the phone rang and told me I was in. I was kind of hopeful that being one out I might get a chance, but you never know. But it was nice that it was on Monday, also, where I didn't have to sweat it until Wednesday afternoon or something. I was able to come out here Tuesday and Wednesday and have a normal couple days.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports