Kentucky men's golf honors the late Cullan Brown as part of 2024-25 schedule

The University of Kentucky golf program is honoring the late Cullan Brown as part of its 2024-25 men’s schedule.

The inaugural Cullan Brown Collegiate will pay homage to the former Wildcat standout who passed away after a long battle with osteosarcoma in 2020 at just 20 years of age. Held at Lexington Country Club from October 7-8, it will mark the first home tournament for Kentucky since the UK Bluegrass Invitational in April of 2015.

“We’re really looking forward to the chance to host at Lexington Country Club and honor the memory of Cullan Brown,” head coach Gator Todd said Tuesday. “I know it will be a special week for our program all around.”

Brown became an All-SEC Freshman at Kentucky in the spring of 2019. He had four top-20 finishes in seven starts and placed ninth in the SEC Championship while also appearing in the PGA’s Barbasol Championship where he made the cut and finished T-53 as the only amateur in the field. His promising career was cut short following his cancer diagnosis, one that tragically took his life almost four years ago to this day on August 4, 2020.

The Cullan Brown Collegiate is the highlight of the Kentucky men’s golf schedule, announced in its entirety on Tuesday. Overall, the slate includes 10 regular season events — five in the fall and five in the spring — before the SEC Championship returns to Seaside Golf Course in St. Simons Island, Georgia in April. Of the 10 regular season tournaments, UK will be a first-time participant in five and a returning competitor in five.

“I love the diversity of our schedule,” Todd said. “We are competing all over the country and in 10 different states. Our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete on some of the finest courses in the country against the best competition.”

Kentucky will open its campaign at the Folds of Honor Collegiate in Grand Haven, Michigan, Sept. 9-11. The Cats will then compete at the Bearcat Invitational (Sept. 16-17) and the Windon Invitational (Sept. 29-30) before the Cullan Brown Collegiate (October 7-8). They’ll wrap up the fall portion of competition at the Steelwood Invitational (Oct. 26-27).

From there, they’ll open the spring with a trip to Panama City for the Watersound Invitational — one of the most competitive events on the college golf calendar — from Feb. 17-19. The Cats will then participate in the Desert Mountain Collegiate (March 8-9) in Scottsdale, Arizona followed by the Schenkel Invitational (March 21-23) and the Mason Rudolph Championship (April 4-6). They’ll wrap up the regular season at the Mountaineer Invitational at Pete Dye Golf Club (April 14-15).

The 2025 SEC Men’s Golf Championship returns to Sea Island Golf Club for the 23rd straight season, April 23-27.

Qualifying teams will compete at NCAA Regionals (May 12-14), with those that advance continuing their postseason at the 2025 NCAA Championship, May 23-28 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.