Buckley survived a 5-for-1 playoff in the Powell, Ohio, final qualifier to earn his second consecutive U.S. Open start. Buckley had posted 5-under 138 at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club and Wedgewood Golf & Country Club in the 36-hole event. The Tupelo, Miss., resident played four seasons at the University of Missouri, where he captured four titles. By his senior season in 2017-18, he was named a third-team All-American and the Missouri Male Athlete of the Year. Buckley first played the PGA Tour Canada, where he registered his maiden professional victory, the 2019 ATB Financial Classic. In 2021, he won the LECOM Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in a playoff over Taylor Montgomery and Dawson Armstrong.