Amid torrential rains and last-minute heroics, the 2024 McDonough Open became a wild rollercoaster of resilience, laughter, and near-misses. This oral history dives into the chaos and glory of a day where the golf gods tested every player’s nerve, allowing for a familiar face to once again lift the jug.

Kevin Cullen stood alone on the second green, basking in the golden light of a sun that seemed almost too poetic to be real, closing out a McDonough Open that, by all accounts, was destined to be a washout. For the second time in his life, Kevin was able to stake his claim as McDonough Open Champion, a title that ranks somewhere between winning the Masters and discovering fire. His team—comprising his father, Neil, his brother, Neilson, and brothers-in-law, Andres McAlister and Bert McGilivary—had just completed a masterclass in navigating a long, soggy battlefield that masqueraded as a golf course.

And so begins the oral history of the 2024 McDonough Open, a saga defined by resilience, resourcefulness, and, ultimately, a triumph that will be spoken of in hushed tones over many a pint:

The Morning of Friday, August 9, 2024:

A week’s worth of torrential rain had turned the course into something resembling the Everglades. What should have been “The Greatest Day of the Year” was threatening to become a footnote in history, thanks to Hurricane Debby, which dumped over 2 inches of rain on an already saturated Red Maples Golf Club.

Mike Brown Sr (Commissioner): The call came in at 9:25 am. We had to cancel the tournament. The course was a swamp—no, it was a full-on lake, and we had the pictures to prove it.

Michael Brown Jr (Commissioner): My heart sank when my Dad called. This was our 21st year, and we’d only ever had one rain delay, and that was for 15 minutes. Canceling wasn’t an option. I called Jake and…

Jake Brown (Open Committee): The second Michael called me, I hopped in the car and drove to the course. I needed to see the damage with my own eyes. The moment I arrived, all I could think about was Billy Harding’s famous line: “Red Maples really doesn’t have any water.” Well, that day, every hole had a water hazard. It was bad—like, bring-your-row-boat bad.

MB Jr: My mind was racing. Could we move to another course? Postponing to next weekend wasn’t an option. Could we walk and just play 9 holes? It was all a blur, but one thing was clear: we had to play.

JB: That rain was relentless, but when I got back to the house, I felt strangely optimistic. Bryan and I brainstormed some ideas, and deep down, I knew we’d find a way. We had to.

MB Sr: I got the call, but honestly, I wasn’t too worried. We’ve got some friends upstairs who always seem to take care of the weather for us.

MB Jr: People laugh at me when I talk about the magnitude of this tournament, but it really is a big deal. Golf Channel sends their Live From crew to Red Maples in the leadup every year now. They braved the elements this year and still showed up.

The Evening of Friday, August 9, 2024:

MB Jr: Once I bought the poster board at Staples, I knew the tournament was a go. You don’t buy a poster board unless you’re serious about something.

JB: We stocked up on all the meats, all the cheeses—those aren’t items you can just return. I checked out the course in the afternoon, and despite Debby’s best efforts to drown our spirits, I was confident we’d play. Then, of course, Debby decided to make one last appearance…

As if on cue, the skies opened up again just after sunset, dumping another inch of rain onto Red Maples’ hallowed grounds.

Peter Santry (Golfer): It rained pretty hard for almost the last hour and a half of my drive up from Baltimore. The first person I saw was Michael Jr. I told him about the bad weather, but I knew we’d be fine by morning.

MB Jr: Yeah, Pete had me all kinds of confused throughout the week, so I wasn’t sure if he was saying it was raining or NOT raining on his drive up. Either way, my anxiety didn’t need the extra workout.

As the rain continued, the tournament committee had to change their standard meeting location, due to a tense game of poker. The Big House’s kitchen table served as host for a group determined to push this tournament forward. Normally, this was a low-key night for confirming teams and hole locations, but the committee found themselves deep in discussion over contingency plans, cart path restrictions, and potential rules changes.

MB Jr: The kitchen isn’t exactly the most private place for a meeting, so let’s just say it was a very transparent process this year.

Kevin Conto (Golfer): It was cool to see how the sausage gets made.

JB: The meeting kicked off with someone placing a big bowl of cheeseballs in the middle of the table. Probably the worst idea ever when Michael’s in the room.

MB Jr: I thought my head was going to explode. Cheeseballs? Seriously? Of course, my Dad was the first to dig in.

KConto: Once the cheeseballs were out of the way, Michael chilled out, and we actually made some solid progress.

Bryan Cullen (Commissioner): The biggest issue was the cart situation. Red Maples is an older course, built before the advent of golf carts, so cart paths were never a thing. CPO (Cart Path Only) was never an option. I figured if we could get one cart per group, we’d be in good shape.

Ryan Brown (Tournament Committee): Michael kept bringing up the idea of shortening the tournament to 9 holes if we had to walk. Just such a ridiculous proposal.

MB Jr: I started the meeting by saying there were no bad ideas. Ryan, apparently, didn’t get the memo.

After what felt like endless debate, the committee finally settled on a proposal to present to the Red Maples leadership:

• 18 holes
• One golf cart per team
• Cowbells on the second and fourth tees

JB: Just as we were making real progress, someone brought the cheeseballs back to the center of the table.

MB Jr: That’s when I really lost it. But after some deep breathing, we moved on to the teams.

Aidan Cullen (Golfer): Michael let his emotions get the better of him. I now understand why.

MB Jr: Yeah, not my best. Snapped at Aidan unnecessarily. I blame the cheeseballs. We’re still boys.

AC: Can’t believe he was that worried about me. All good. Always boys.

KConto: A lot of thought goes into these teams. A solid single player can make or break your chances.

PS: Just be careful how you word your text to the Commish.

MB Jr: This was the longest team-setting session yet, but I loved having all the different voices in the room.

MB Sr: The goal is always to get the maximum number of teams with a shot at the playoff. We nailed it this year.

What’s usually a quick, fifteen to twenty-minute process ended up taking over an hour and a half. But by the end, the teams were set, the rain had stopped, and the night was still young. The 2024 McDonough Open was just hours away from its beginning.

The Morning of Saturday, August 10, 2024:

As players around the compound began to emerge from their bedrooms, eager to start their day, Glenn Harding stepped out of the boathouse with a backup plan in hand. Glenn had spent the entire night engineering a system to drain the greens and channel the water toward the lake—a contraption that ingeniously combined a potato gun, a manual pump, and a drill bit perfectly sized to match a golf hole.

JB: Glenn is an insane person.

Glenn Harding (Golfer): I knew this was a team effort and wanted to make something that could be useful. It was a lot less complicated than it sounds.

JB: It was incredibly complicated, but definitely would have worked.

GH: I figured it would be easier to get all of the water off the course than out of the engine of the Big Boat. Only took a couple hours. Glad we didn’t have to use the device though… next year.

The grounds crew arrived early, ready to transform Red Maples from a soggy mess into something resembling a golf course. They weren’t alone—alongside them were the tournament committee members, armed with squeegees, a can-do attitude, and a lot of opinions about golf carts.

RB: First thing I did was hop into a golf cart to see if we could even use them. I figured if they could survive the conditions, so could we.

JB: The greens looked more like kiddie pools, but that didn’t stop Ryan from tearing off in one of those carts like he was a USGA official rushing out to make a ruling on the fourth tee box.

Liam Roe (Golfer): I hadn’t even gotten out of the car when I saw Ryan speeding down the hill in one of the carts. It was like watching a disaster unfold in slow motion.

RB: The course was soaked. I spun out of control a few times. I had to act like a madman. After my business trip on the golf cart, I had to make the call—no golf carts today. The worst.

LR: Ryan said he was spinning out. I couldn’t see it because Jake and I were too busy trying to bail out the greens.

MB Jr: Ryan talked to the staff, and they were pretty firm on us not using carts. It was a bummer, but I wasn’t ready to give up hope just yet.

JB: The course was wet, but playable. It was windy as hell, but we knew we’d get this tournament going. I still held out hope that we might squeeze in a cart or two to keep things moving. Our backup plan was Glenn.

Jamie Dempsey (Golfer): There are three certainties in life. Death. Taxes. Sun on McDonough Open Saturday.

The Afternoon of Saturday, August 10, 2024:

As golfers began to arrive at Red Maples, the excitement was thick enough to cut with a wedge. The defending champions were back, eyeing the elusive back-to-back title that only one team had ever claimed. Money was being handed in, sausages were thrown onto the grill, and golfers attacked the t-shirt table with fervor and determination.

Jack Seher, the first player to reach three McDonough Open titles, had missed the last two tournaments due to the birth of his children, but now he was back, stretched out, and ready to reclaim his throne.

Jack Seher (Golfer): It’s hard to miss this day. I even got new clubs for the occasion—well, not exactly new. A friend was tossing them out, and I figured if they’d survived his abuse, they could handle the rugged terrain of Red Maples.

RB: We were about fifteen minutes from the official start of the tournament (Ned’s infamous quarter stick of dynamite) and still didn’t have a final word on the golf carts.

MB Jr: Ryan actually handled the golf cart situation like a pro. The compromise was spot on.

RB: One cart per group.

MB Sr: Michael pulled me into the garage, like he was sharing top-secret intel, to let me know we’d be allowed one cart per group. Two minutes later, he was out there announcing it to anyone who’d listen.

MB Jr: I just wanted to give my Dad a heads up before everyone else knew.

LR: Nobody laughed at Michael’s joke about reading “The Art of the Deal.”

MB: Tough to start the day on a flopped joke. I let it affect me and forgot to mention the no three-putt and no double bogey rule.

With the official announcements made, golfers dispersed to their starting holes. The fireworks—both literal and figurative—had begun. Some teams came out swinging, while others struggled to adjust to the slow greens and soggy conditions.

KConto: There’s nothing better than starting with an eagle on the first hole, and that’s exactly what we did. I chipped in from just off the green—pure magic.

Michael Cosgrove (Golfer): I think we were four-under through six holes. We were on fire.

Patrick Cosgrove (Golfer): We were playing really well, but then Michael…

MC: The greens got the better of me. I don’t want to say they were hairy or bushy, but let’s just say they didn’t exactly have their usual smooth slickness.

PC: Well, it did rain two inches the day before.

As some of the pre-tournament favorites struggled to reach the magical 10-under par target, others took full advantage of the soft conditions, tearing through the gettable holes and quickly climbing the leaderboard.

Ed Cosgrove (Golfer): Mike [Brown Sr.] nearly hit a hole-in-one on the 8th hole. He dropped to the ground, acting all dramatic, but we both know that’ll never happen. Still, we made the birdie, so there’s that. I was rooting for it to go in…

Brian Swift (Golfer): I looked at Eddie when Mike’s ball was in the air. He did not want it to be a hole-in-one.

Mike Cosgrove Sr (Golfer): For Eddie’s health, it’s probably best that he didn’t make that.

Kevin Cullen (Golfer): We fell a bit behind pace early on. I told myself I needed to step it up if we were going to make the playoff.

Neil Cullen (Golfer): Both of our groups made birdie on 3. I’ve played in this every year, and I’ve never been in a group that’s done that.

KCullen: Draining that putt on 3 really jump-started our round.

RB: Three was our killer hole. Bogeyed it both times.

Sam Cullen (Golfer): We hit good shots, gave ourselves solid looks, but we just couldn’t convert enough.

2021 champion Jim Henkleman, who missed out in 2023 due to a prior commitment, made his triumphant return to Red Maples, ready to dominate the field once again.

Jimmy McGrath (Golfer): The best player in this thing is Henkleman. It’s truly remarkable.

Muck McGrath (Golfer): We were never supposed to be broken up. We won together, and then they took him away from me.

MB Jr: I heard Muck from three holes away, still complaining about losing Henkleman.

JM: Muck must’ve said at least 100 times that day that they took LeBron James off our team.

MB Jr: LeBron is an objectively bad golfer, and Muck hates him.

JM: Muck finally realized his analogy didn’t make any sense and switched to, “They took Tiger Woods from us.”

Jack McGrath Jr (Golfer): Henkleman is a machine. The guy probably shot close to ten-under on his own ball.

Jim Henkleman (Golfer): It felt great to be back. The team played really well. I was rather sad to miss it last year as I was on a two-week vacation to Italy. It was a devastating scheduling error. Nothing quite like this tournament.

Robby Brown (Golfer): Henkleman made this incredibly detailed yardage and greens book in the weeks leading up to the tournament. It paid off big time.

As the day progressed, the playoff picture began to come into focus.

MB Jr: At the start of the day, I figured there were eight to ten teams that had a realistic shot at making it.

Ben Boyanoski (Golfer): We wanted to defend our title. Really believed we could win again. Getting into the playoff felt like the first step.

JH: The preparation was crucial and definitely paid off.

PC: We thought we had a good chance at the playoff—until my brother Michael insulted the greens and angered the golf gods.

MC: Look, they weren’t hairy, just a little… unkempt.

KConto: We made a couple of eagles. Gordo was a last-minute addition to the team, and he was clutch.

KCullen: We needed to birdie the last two holes to make it. A simple birdie on four set us up nicely for a run at five.

NC: I was never worried.

JB: We weren’t close to making the playoffs, so I was more or less keeping an eye on the rest of the field. One team that never surprised me was Matt Butler’s group.

Matt Butler (Golfer): It’s been a few years since our team has won, but you’ve got to have a shot. It all starts with getting into the playoff.

JB: Butler might be the best player in this thing. Every year, he’s in the mix.

RB: He never misses the playoff. It’s insane.

KCullen: I think we were the last ones on the course.

NC: Six-footer. We needed to make it to get into the playoff.

KCullen: Dead. Center.

Golden Hour, August 10, 2024

The beginning of the playoff is always a whirlwind. As teams turn in their scorecards, golfers of all skill levels exchange tales of their best (and worst) shots of the day. The 2024 playoff saw some familiar faces, and the tension was palpable. Deciding who would take each team’s opening shot was a nerve-wracking choice for some and a no-brainer for others. But first, there was the reading of the rules.

JB: Michael did a decent job going over the rules. He really hammered home the lift-clean-and-place rule, and then there was this whole thing about…

V. Kavan Munley (Golfer): He said the ball must be placed within 6 inches, but not within a club length. This is an inherently confusing contradiction since 6 inches is within a club length. As my team was in the playoff, I did not want to begin play without a clearly defined set of rules.

With the rules out of the way, Ben Boyanoski was the first to tee off, hoping to recapture the magic of the previous year.

Bob Brown III (Golfer): I have long said that this is the closest any of us will ever come to the US Open.

JH: Going first is a tough gig. The wind’s shifted since your last shot, and you’ve got to put the pressure on everyone else.

BB: I hit a solid shot,but tugged it just a bit short and left. The soft conditions didn’t give me much of a bounce.

As Henkleman stepped up to the tee, his former teammate was still grumbling about the team arrangements.

JH: I was trying to focus on the shot, but Muck just wouldn’t let it go…

MM: They literally took Tiger Woods off our team! We never should have been broken up.

JM: You could see Henkleman’s preparation paying off. He hit a shot that found the only square yard short of the green that would bounce toward the hole. He left his team with a twelve-footer for birdie.

JB: I thought for sure it was going to come up short. The guy is ridiculous. He executed it to perfection.

Colin Jenkins (Golfer): Bryan asked me to take the playoff shot. I thought I had it dialed in, but it just faded left at the last second. Not what I was aiming for.

As the first two teams hit their playoff shots, a quiet but intense discussion was brewing within the Neil Cullen-led team about who should take their shot.

KCullen: Walking up the hill after the round, Andres pulled me aside and asked if I wanted to hit the shot.

Andres McAlister (Golfer): I just told Kev, if you want this shot, you’ve got to convince your dad you’re the right person for it.

KCullen: My plan was simple: I’d ask my dad if he wanted to hit the shot.

NC: He asked who was hitting the shot.

KCullen: I told myself that if he hesitated for even a second, the shot was mine.

NC: He didn’t even let me answer before he grabbed his wedge and said he’d hit it.

KCullen: I really wanted that pressure. I felt ready for the moment.

MB Jr: I was a little surprised when I saw Kev step up to the tee. This has historically been Neil’s moment.

KCullen: Smooth pitching wedge, that’s what I needed. A smooth pitching wedge.

AM: I cracked open a can of beer, knowing I wouldn’t have to hit for a few minutes.

Neilson Cullen (Golfer): I think Kev knew that if he didn’t hit a good shot, he’d probably be walking home.

KCullen: Smooth pitching wedge.

Sam Cullen (Golfer): The kid couldn’t have been more confident. He’s never really lacked confidence, but this was a determined Kevin Cullen none of us had ever seen before.

JB: The ball didn’t move an inch in the air—it was all over the pin. Hung there forever.

AM: That sip of beer tasted damn good as I watched the ball tracking toward the cup.

MB Jr: Usually, someone screams “GET IN THE HOLE!” but this time it was more of an actual plea.

LR: I thought he made it. I wanted it to get in the hole.

AM: I spiked my beer and nearly tackled him.

MC: I looked at my brother and said, “imagine if the greens weren’t so bushy. Coulda gone in.”

PC: It would not have gone in with faster greens.

SC: Six inches to the right. Six inches from a hole-in-one. There’s no pressure like the playoff shot. None.

MB Jr: Patrick Reed has famously turned down invites because of the pressure this shot brings. I can’t believe Kev nailed it.

KCullen: I wanted the pressure. I wanted it bad.

Amid the chaos and celebration following Kevin’s shot, three golfers were still waiting to hit.

MButler: Definitely a disadvantage being the next one to hit. With all that adrenaline going, I just chunked it a little bit.

KConto: It’s a tough spot to be in, but I knew we could still make birdie. I hit a solid shot, just a little short and left. Still had a good chance to push it to the second hole.

Eric Collins (Golfer): All this talk about pressure never really got to me. I played college soccer. I knew all I had to do was put a good swing on it and give Jeff (Barone) or Mike (Brown Sr.) a good look at birdie.

Cullen Roe (Golfer): Very much expected Eric to come up a little short. Baby E.

EC: Pressure got to me. I came up short.

CR: Baby E.

AM: Everyone pretty much sprinted down the hill. Hard to believe Kev’s ball ended up as close as it did.

Neilson Cullen: I wasn’t nervous at all. I knew I’d make the putt.

Robby Brown: There was no doubt about it—they were going to make the birdie, but we still had a chance.

Two of the top athletes still in the tournament found themselves on the same team. Battling a leg injury all day, Quinn Cullen decided to let Jordan Dempsey, a former star quarterback at Dunmore High School, take the crucial putt—a challenge Dempsey eagerly embraced.

Quinn Cullen (Golfer): My leg was hurting pretty bad. We had all seen Jordan perform under the bright lights before. This was his moment.

Jordan Dempsey (Golfer): Once the first two groups failed to make their birdie chips, we decided I should hit the putt.

KConto: Gordo was making everything. We just needed one more.

JD: I felt like the man in the arena. Kevin Cullen was celebrating his shot prematurely. Ya hate to see that.

KConto: I had this irrational confidence he was going to make it. Can’t believe he actually did.

JD: The place went wild. Absolute pandemonium.

Neilson Cullen: Then I started to get nervous.

AM: Once Henkleman’s group missed their putt, my knees were knocking. Neilson slipped it just inside the cup, and we were off to two.

KCullen: Pretty annoyed Gordo made that putt. Definitely took a little of the shine away from my shot.

Will Cullen (Golfer): Left us all wondering, did Gordo just upstage the greatest shot in Open history?

As brothers Neil and Edward Cullen took the long walk back to the second tee box, they both knew the magnitude of the shots they were about to hit.

AM: Neil’s our guy. His grandkids call him “Jefe.” There’s a reason for that. He’s the boss.

KConto: Ed went first and hit a pretty solid shot.

AM: Neil put us in a decent position. I had a tricky chip right behind a bush on the right, but I played it well.

KConto: They had the advantage. They basically had a long par putt, while we had a ten-footer for bogey.

KCullen: We knew that if we made bogey, we’d at least get to play another hole. I hit a decent chip, setting up a straightforward putt for Neilson.

Neilson Cullen: I missed the putt, but in doing so, I put all the pressure back on Gordo.

JD: My magic ran out. Credit to them.

NC: Twelve years is a long time between victories. A lot can change. When I made that putt twelve years ago, my family was half the size it is today. We’ve added some new people to this great tournament, but lost some amazing ones as well. That hit me as I approached that final putt.

AM: Back then, he was Mr. Cullen to me. Now, he’s my father-in-law—Jefe to my boys. If anyone deserved to make the winning putt, it was him.

Bert McGilivary (Golfer): Really proud to be a part of this team.

MB Sr: Nearly everyone loves this day, but it’s extra special when it comes down to someone like Neil. He’s a big big reason why this tournament is as good as it is.

MB Jr: The playoff was Neil’s idea 21 years ago. This isn’t the best day of the year without Neil. I’m so happy for them.

Kevin scanned the green, taking in the final moments of the year’s greatest day, and was dramatically embraced by his teammates.

KCullen: All glory to God. Without Him, none of this is possible.

AM: Kev kind of turned it into an impromptu press conference on the second green.

KCullen: I’m not sure how I would’ve handled it if we had lost.

As the team made the slow walk back toward the clubhouse, the setting sun bathed them in golden light, allowing them to savor the moment together.

KCullen: Doing it like this was special. We’ve been working toward this for a long time.

AM: Just so happy for Jefe. So happy for all of us.

KCullen: I wanted this so bad. This is the greatest day of my life. I’ve never been happier.

The 2024 McDonough Open will be remembered as a tournament defined by resilience. First, the course itself stood firm through the impossibly difficult elements, allowing for a full tournament despite more than three inches of rain in the prior two days. Red Maples held strong. Next, the players showed their resilience. Forced to overcome the “one cart per hole” challenge, many golfers persevered, with more than a half-dozen teams making the playoff. Finally, Neil Cullen’s team overcame the incredible putt by Jordan Dempsey to ultimately prevail.

KCullen: The hype for this day is always so high. And somehow, some way, it always exceeds expectations. It’s hard to put into words just how great it is.

Kevin fought back a tear as he gave the commissioners one final hug. He stood on the first tee for the last time that day, surveying the greater South Canaan landscape, now bathed in a deepening orange hue. Michael Brown Jr. put his arm around Kevin as they took it all in.

KCullen: I was so young when I first started playing in this. Gal was on the grill, and Uncle Eddie was out there playing.

MB Jr: It feels like we’re in The Lion King. We stand on this tee, look out, and know that, for today, all of this land is ours.

KCullen: It never disappoints. It always reaches that pinnacle. We definitely have people looking out for us, making sure we play every year.

With that, a single tear from Kevin’s cheek fell onto the tee marker. A Cullen had once again recaptured the jug.

KCullen: Let’s go celebrate, boys. We earned this. We did it.