Tide Golf Signee Leads Junior World Event

Bud Cauley shot a 4-under 67 in the second round of the Toyota Junior World Cup Wednesday to move into the lead. The Jacksonville, Fla., native, who will be a freshman golfer at The University of Alabama, is in first place at 7-under par in the individual standings. He’s shot 68-67/135 and has a one stroke lead over Japan’s Tomoya Tokunaga (69-67/136).

Cauley, who will enter Alabama in the fall semester, is one of four players representing the United States in the international competition, which is considered Junior Golf’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup. The USA is in 5th place at 6-under par, shooting 211-209/420 on the par 71 course at Chukyo Golf Club’s Ishino Course in Toyota City, Japan.

Teams from 16 countries are competing. England moved into the top spot among the team standings and is 12-under par (212-202/414). Tied for second are defending champion Sweden and also Denmark who are both at 9-under par after two rounds. Norway is 4th (518), followed by the USA (420), Japan (421), Argentina and Australia (422), Korea (424), South Africa (425), New Zealand (427), India (431), Columbia (440), Mexico (444), Guatemala (449) and Kenya (456).

For Team USA, Cauley leads the field and his team as the tournament’s leader 7-under. Gregor Main is T-15th at 1-under (73-68/141). Wesley Graham is at 2-over par (70-74/144), and Cody Gribble is at 6-over par (73-75/148.

“I’m disappointed because it was our chance to have a really good round,” U.S. Coach Brian White said in a release from the Golf Coaches Association of America following the USA’s drop to six shots back from the lead. “One of the scores we had to count included a nine on a par-3, so we could have had a much better score than we did.

“I’m really proud of Bud Cauley and the way he played,” said White. “Now it’s going to take two great rounds of golf for us to get back in this thing.”

The third round will be on Friday.