Kentucky sophomore golfer Cathryn Brown has had a terrific start to her spring season with a tie for fourth at the Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla., and a third-place finish at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota, Fla.
Brown and teammate Karlie Campbell both had 5-under par scores to share fourth at the Paradise Invitational. That was Brown’s best collegiate finish before the former Lyon County High School standout before she led after 36 holes at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational and ended up third. She had rounds of 68, 69 and 75 to finish 4-under par and had 13 birdies in the 54-hole event to earn SEC Golfer of the Week honors.
Brown’s brother, Cullan, also played at the University of Kentucky. He had four top 20 finishes to make the all-SEC freshman team and tied for 53rd in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship. He was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer after his freshman season and passed at age 20 in 2020.
Emma Talley is a former three-time Kentucky state high school champion at Caldwell county and NCAA champion at Alabama who recently retired after seven years on the LPGA Tour. She’s been life-long friends with the Brown family.
“I don’t think enough people are talking about Cathryn and what she has done this season,” Talley said. “She didn’t even really start getting serious about golf until she was about 14 when Cullan passed and she has been playing some great golf.”
Cathryn Brown had played basketball at Lyon County and always thought that was her best sport even though her brother constantly noted she would be an even better golfer than him if she concentrated on golf.
“Life is unfair and Cullan should still be here,” Talley said. “It was sad that cancer took his life so fast. “I saw him the week before his passing and he was still making me laugh. He was the same guy right to the end. COVID was so bad but that also let me be home several months that summer and I was able to spend a good amount of time with him which I am grateful for.
“It hurts my heart every single day that he is not here. It is very strange how life works but I am so proud of Cathryn and how she handles herself and how hard she works.”
Talley, who was also a U.S. Amateur champion, won over $1.4 million on the LPGA Tour with 10 top 10 finishes and 22 top 25 finishes against the world’s best golfers.
“I think Cathryn could be on the tour one day,” Talley said about the UK sophomore golfer. “She hits it way longer than I ever did. She is an elite athlete. That’s why I say not enough people are talking about her and the start to this season.
“She just continues to get better and is actually even a little hurt right now but playing through it. I am really excited for her and what lies ahead.”
Brown hurt her wrist and thumb in UK’s opening match but the Cats do not play again until the Darius Rucker Invitational March 3-5 in Hilton Head.
Cathryn Brown won various high school invitationals, including the Cullan Brown Invitational, and twice finished in the top three at the state high school championship. However, Talley knows not everyone thought she could succeed at Kentucky.
“Some people thought she was crazy for picking Kentucky and was not good enough to play in the SEC,” Talley said. “She has proven that wrong. She is playing in the No. 1 spot and is where she needs to be.”
Even though Cathryn Brown was not obsessed with golf like her brother and Talley were, golf always came naturally to her.
“She is such a natural athlete and is so good at anything she does,” the former LPGA player said. “It’s great to see her creating her own legacy. But I can remember me and Cullan would be practicing and she would pick up a putter and beat us both putting.
“I am so happy for her and what she’s doing. I know Cullan is watching from above and is proud of her. She works really hard like he always wanted her to do. She has the dedication to golf you have to have to be good. She’s really fun to watch play.”
The UK sophomore also enjoys interacting with fans before, during and after rounds. Talley was the same way her whole career but so was Cullan Brown.
“Cullan was so nice to people and was so outgoing,” Talley said. “He acted like a 50-year-old man but he loved everybody. Cathryn followed in his footsteps just fine and that just makes the success she is having even more special to her and all of us whoever knew and loved Cullan.”
