Golf Pro Bud Cauley Almost Lost $3000 In A Jack In The Box Mixup

Many diners have inadvertently left behind an umbrella or garment at a restaurant before. Most of the time, the owner of the lost item is considered to be at fault, and occasionally hospitality insurance can cover some larger mishaps, per RMS. Would pro golfer Bud Cauley have had to invoke some insurance to cover the $3000 that got misplaced during a Jack in the Box trip gone wrong? Thankfully, he didn't have to find out.

The golfer relayed this story on GOLF's Subpar Podcast when he explained he lost a huge sum of money in a discarded fast food bag (via GOLF). Back in 2008, Cauley joined up with fellow golfer Drew Kittleson to win the grand prize of $3000 in a cornhole tournament. The pair ended up winning the cash and decided to stop off at a nearby Jack in the Box to celebrate. After getting an Uber ride home from the restaurant, they realized neither of them had the money, and they started to panic. After mentally retracing their steps, Cauley and Kittleson realized they must have left the money in the Uber.

In the grand scheme of things, there are arguably worse, more expensive ways for an athlete to lose money, like when NFL receiver Julio Jones lost a $100,000 earring in a lake and then hired a diving crew to look for it (via CBS Sports). The ring apparently never surfaced. Fortunately for Bud Cauley, he and Drew Kittleson didn't have to go to such lengths, only to get nowhere in the end. According to GOLF, they got picked up by a friend, and they started to pursue the Uber they had taken. They were convinced the money was in that car, but the driver insisted it wasn't. They finally discovered who was right when Kittleson called his neighbor and asked them to check the trash to see if the money accidentally got thrown out. 

The neighbor pulled the golfers' Jack in the Box bag out of the garbage and found the misplaced money. As Cauley recalled, "Needless to say we tipped the Uber driver pretty handsomely for our stupidness." Maybe now, they can even laugh at the ordeal. Next time you misplace your belongings at a restaurant, just be glad you didn't accidentally lose $3000 in cash. After this experience, you can guarantee Cauley and Kittleson check their trash twice before throwing anything away. And with any luck, never have to go through such a tense situation again.