SYLVANIA, Ohio – Before Emma Talley hit the road for the LPGA’s restart in Ohio, she had dinner with her best friend Cullan Brown. She ordered the turkey bacon from Our Daily Bread, his favorite sandwich shop in Eddyville, Kentucky.
“We had strawberry cake,” she said. “He was as normal as ever and as happy as ever.”
Talley never dreamed it would be the last meal they’d share together. On Tuesday, Brown, a standout at Kentucky, died from osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer in his left thigh. He was 20.
Talley was set to be mic’d up for the first round of the Marathon LPGA Classic alongside Christina Kim and Jillian Hollis in the 12:53 p.m. ET group. She backed out on Tuesday night, thinking it would be too much.
All she wanted to do was pack up and race back home to Kentucky to comfort his parents, Rodney and Emily Brown, and his sister Cathryn. To be wrapped up in their tight-knit community and share memories of the pure-hearted man who breathed joy into the world.
But instead, she decided to stay. She’ll wear a mic while competing on Thursday for the first time, too. The sociable Talley might not be herself tomorrow, but she’s determined to do what Cullan would want. She wants everyone to know his story.
“I’m just going to try to get through it and be strong for him,” said Talley, “and hopefully play well for him, too. I definitely think I’ll have the best angel in the world and the best second caddie. He’s going to be there every step of the way.”
There are fewer than 1,000 cases of osteosarcoma diagnosed each year. Because of that, new research is rare. Talley hopes Cullan’s story will help to change that. Nearly every text message she has received since his passing tells the same story: Cullan was their favorite.
“Every tournament, whether he won or got last,” said Talley, “he’d say ‘I hope the golf is good, but I’m here for the good food and the good fun.’ ”
It’s in that spirit that Talley remained on site at the Marathon Classic, wiping away tears as player after player offered her condolences.
Only weeks after Brown made the cut at the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship last year, finishing 10 under, the team announced that he would be stepping away from the 2019-20 season to start chemotherapy.
Brown made seven starts for the Wildcats and garnered four top-20 finishes in the 2018-19 season. His opening 64 at the Mason Rudolph tied for the lowest 18-hole score in the coach Brian Craig era. His 54-hole total of 206 tied for the best mark of the season.
When Brown got sick, teammate Jay Kirchdorfer started a GoFundMe page to help ease the family’s financial concerns. Donations surpassed $25,000 in six days. It’s now over $56,000. Both the Kentucky men’s and women’s teams had the hashtag #B4B – “Birdies for Brownies” stitched onto their clothing last season to honor Brown.
It’s still so much of a shock. Talley, a former NCAA and U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, remained hopeful throughout Cullan’s nearly year-long battle, believing that a young man so strong and so full of life would beat this cruel disease. It was only three weeks ago that Cullan was preparing a hibachi dinner for loved ones. Only last week that her mom was crying from laughing so hard at Cullan’s jokes.
One reason Cullan chose to stay in Kentucky for college was that he wanted to be home for hunting season. The two friends would often enjoy a little target practice off of Cullan’s back porch.
“That’s one reason I came out today,” she said. “I needed some fresh air and I wanted to be where he loved.”
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