Who Is Zach Bauchou? All About Golfer Who Sacrificed PGA Tour Dream for Family Explored

For most golfers, the PGA Tour dream is something they chase at all costs, but not for Zach Bauchou. He did the opposite. What followed was uncertainty and doubt. But now, with a PGA Tour card finally in hand, he is showing his skills. Let’s find out everything about Zach Bauchou, including his childhood and his golf career so far.

Who is Zach Bauchou?

Zach Bauchou is an American PGA Tour player from Forest, Virginia. He was born on December 28, 1995, to Edward Bauchou and his wife. However, there’s not a lot of public information available about his parents. He attended London Country Academy in Virginia. The school is often referred to as L.C.A.

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It was his father who introduced him to the sport at a young age of 6. With his two brothers, Jacob and Paul; two sisters, Julia and Natalie; and his parents, he lived on the 13th hole of London Downs Golf Club. It was a semi-private course where he grew up playing and practicing almost daily.

As a young elite player, he also had the chance to compete in U.S. Kids Golf events in Virginia. After developing into one of Virginia’s top juniors, he traveled to North Carolina for tougher junior competition. That’s where he faced players like Ben Griffin.

College and amateur golf journey

Zach Bauchou attended Oklahoma State University from 2015 to 2019. This is also where he played college golf with teammates like Viktor Hovland. He was a key member of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship team. In the 2018 championship match, he won 8-and-7 in his individual match. This helped Oklahoma State win the national title on its home course over Alabama. He also earned one individual collegiate title during these years.

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Zach Bauchou’s sacrifice for family

Bauchou turned pro in 2019. While he got a PGA Tour card for the first time for the 2026 season, the golf community started knowing him in 2023.

Since turning professional in 2019, Bauchou had been on the grind. However, he received a sponsor exemption into the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. After finishing T4 at the event, he was in the first round of the PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage. This was his first real chance to win a PGA Tour card, a dream he has had ever since he started playing the sport.

But at the time, his wife, Victoria, went into labor five weeks early with their first son, James. He withdrew from the tournament to be with his wife and family. The next day, he was in the hospital as James was born.

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“We had talked about having a plan in case he did come early. And we had talked to that and agreed that I would withdraw if something did happen,” he said about his withdrawal.

He prioritized family over his dream of being on the PGA Tour. Although he missed the opportunity to earn a PGA Tour card, he kept his Korn Ferry Tour status.