Sixteen years had passed since the creator of The McDonough Open, Mike Brown, last teamed up with his three sons to chase the most famous jug in golf. Now, as late-afternoon shadows stretched long across the fairways and a crowd pressed in around the first green, Brown stood shoulder to shoulder with his boys, all eyes fixed on one man: Dr. Chris Farrell.

Farrell, a gastroenterologist by trade (and known for missing neither putts nor colons), had spent a career training those steady hands for precision. Now they hovered over a 13-foot birdie putt — the kind of stroke that could deliver him a third McDonough Open title and etch the Farrell/Butler/Weir dynasty another chapter deeper into Open lore. Here begins the oral history of the 2025 McDonough Open — a story of big swings, bigger roars, and the tangled, glorious journeys of the day’s key players.

September 13, 2024
322 Days to The McDonough Open

In truth, the 2025 McDonough Open started nearly a year earlier — in the quiet, stubborn rehab of a two-time champion who refused to let an injury write his final chapter.

Quinn Cullen: On the morning of the 2024 Open, I jumped off the dock, tweaked my calf, and almost lost my leg. There are maybe three Division I athletes in the family — none of them have come close to losing a limb by simply jumping off a dock. It was humbling. Nothing prepares you for that. I knew I had to make it back next year. Walk the course. This was going to be a legacy-defining year.

Cullen Roe: Quinn’s lucky to have that leg. It was touch-and-go in the OR. We were months away from the Open, and we knew it would take serious commitment to get him back. And maybe a permanent ban on docks.

Jack Seher: I remember going to bed that night worried about him. I’m just grateful that he’s still here, still Quinn.

Timmy Cullen: It’s entirely possible that I saved him. My car alarm was the true hero in all of this. Plus the doctors… but also my car alarm.

Michael Brown Jr: I reread the 2024 Oral History recently — beautifully written, Pulitzer-adjacent, frankly — and noticed Quinn’s injury didn’t get a single mention. Not one. It was the dark subplot to an otherwise historic day. In our board meeting, we decided to dangle the Comeback Player of the Year Award as extra motivation.

Quinn Cullen: When Michael called about the award, I thought — perfect. For Eddie and Molly, my kids, it was a chance to show them: chase your dreams, no matter how ridiculous. Mine? Jump off Mere’s dock the morning of the 2025 McDonough Open… and then walk 18 holes alongside my dad.

Edward Cullen: A worthy goal.

Michael Brown Jr.: My grandfather had a stroke the morning of the 2004 Open and played the next year. If Quinn makes it back, it’s right up there with Pop’s comeback. Not saying he’s a shoo-in, but it’d be tough to go elsewhere.

Chris Cullen: Michael also called to say I was nominated. I’d missed the last two Opens for my grandson’s birth and first birthday. Not quite “nearly lost a leg” territory, but hey — nice to be in the conversation.

Glenn Harding: When Quinn was in the hospital and things looked grim, I brought him a stack of vintage Sports Illustrateds. A little nostalgia to keep his spirits up — or at least distract him from daytime TV.

Quinn Cullen: Those SIs got me through some of the hardest moments of rehab. Incredible writing. Great, great articles.

May 17, 2025
76 Days to The McDonough Open

Every offseason at Red Maples brings changes — some carefully crafted in hushed committee meetings, others born from pure, chaotic accident. This year? Squarely in the latter category. A runaway tractor — yes, runaway — rumbled through the old tee box on the uphill par-3 sixth hole like it had a personal vendetta. The result: a shortened hole, ten yards off its former length, but with ripple effects no one could ignore.

Jake Brown: We like to think of it the way Augusta National “tweaks” their course every year — quiet, precise, always with the greater good in mind. We’re usually at least consulted on these architectural matters. You know… shaping the future of the sport.

Kevin Cullen: As defending champions, we figured if anything was going to change, we’d get a courtesy call. Instead, the whole sixth-hole blueprint got torched. We usually start there, so it was like showing up on Opening Day and finding out home plate had been moved to the on-deck circle. Seventy-six days is not a lot of time to rewrite your Open playbook.

Jake Brown: Ten yards doesn’t sound like much, but it changes everything — the angle, the ball flight, how you use the natural contours of the green. At first? I hated it. Now? It’s grown on me.

July 5, 2025
28 Days to The McDonough Open

Summer was in full swing, and whispers of new blood in the field began to stir. Some whispers felt credible. Others felt like someone had spiked the sweet tea.

Anna Swift: I told Michael I’d be in town for the McDonough Open, and that me and Kelly [Cullen] wanted in.

Michael Brown Jr: It was a perfect weekend at the lake. If she said she was serious, I must’ve missed it.

Kelly Cullen: He thought we were joking. We were absolutely dead serious.

Michael Brown Jr: I wasn’t convinced. And look — Red Maples has strict “rookie caps.” We’re only allowed so many newcomers each year. It’s not just a policy, it’s in writing.

Anna Swift: Michael told me Red Maples literally puts a cap on rookie spots.

Michael Brown Jr: It’s a mix of things. The rookie limit. Neither of them owns a set of clubs — and that’s a non-negotiable. Plus, Kelly historically makes the drinks for her house on Girls’ Day, and no one else is stepping into that role. I wish I’d known earlier they wanted to play, but we’re too close to the tournament now. There’s always next year.

Cullen Roe: I actually thought there was a last minute chance I could fly in to play.

Anna Swift: How does Cullen get to sign up that late and still play?

Michael Brown Jr: Cullen is a previous champion and not subject to the same “rookie cap” or sign-up deadline that Kelly and Anna are. If he showed up the morning of, he would have had a spot.

August 1, 2025
1 Day to The McDonough Open

With the field nearly set, the team selection process roared to life. The betting favorite? The long-awaited reunion of the four Browns — Mike Sr., Michael, Ryan, and Jake — a family supergroup not seen together since 2009. But lurking just beneath the surface were plenty of squads eager to wreck the reunion tour, especially once the chaos of the playoff arrived.

The day officially began with the flag-raising ceremony. The kitchen soon morphed into a pressure cooker — equal parts draft war room, family reunion, and comedy club — as teams and starting holes were finalized.

Bryan Cullen: We’ve got that big flagpole in the Big House garden, so of course I figured a custom jug flag was the only logical way to kick things off.

Michael Brown Jr.: You can get anything online. Had it shipped in a week. Honestly, I’m shocked it took us this long to buy one.

Mike Brown Sr.: Bryan gave us the perfect mix of NASCAR energy and patriotic pomp. We raised the flag together, and not a single person kneeled. A beautiful moment.

Peter Santry: I rolled in just in time for the ceremony. The flag was great, but honestly, the real relief was knowing my team was already locked in for the night.

Liam Roe: I spent most of the night regripping my putter. I’m not saying I was inspired by Happy Gilmore 2… but I’m also not not saying it.

Eric Collins: My dad taught me a lot about being a handyman, so when Liam was regripping, I was pumped to hang around and help.

Liam Roe: “Help” is generous. Eric just did whatever I told him — held tools, handed me tape, nodded like he knew what was going on.

Eric Collins: I knew exactly what was going on.

Liam Roe: By the end of the night, we’d turned my putter into a full-on hockey stick putter. Beautiful. Also… possibly illegal under the Rules of Golf. Let the committee sort that out.

Gene Roe: I just retired a few weeks ago so I feel like this is a great chance for me to showcase how much my game has grown since last year. I haven’t played since the 2024 Open, but mentally I’m in a great spot. Excited to see who gets to play with me.

Kevin Conto: Michael wanted the selection process “public.” I knew what he meant, so I got a special exemption to bring my daughter to watch. Best night of the year — nothing like seeing how the sausage gets made.

Mike Brown Sr: Playing with Michael, Ryan, and Jake again will be fun. Their games are… let’s just say “different” than in 2009.

Ryan Brown: We golf together a lot, but chasing history with a shot at the course record (-15) is a different animal. Thinking we’re a lock to win? That’s crazy. Anything can happen in the playoff.

Kevin Cullen: They’re the favorites, sure, but a single birdie changes everything. Anyone remember my tee shot from last year? (Pause.) Thought so.

Jake Brown: He wasn’t there long, but seeing Matt Butler pop in was electric. The guy thrives in the McDonough Open atmosphere.

Matt Butler: My wife told me the selection process had started. I didn’t need the full scouting report, but going to bed with a little intel never hurts.

Matt Murray: I missed the last few years. Seeing my name back on that board… it felt like a dream.

Peter Santry: Definitely less tension this year. Lots of laughs, a few jabs. No cheeseballs this time, which is a shame. But you can’t beat the camaraderie — it’s the perfect way to light the fuse.

August 2, 2025
The McDonough Open

MORNING

The day had finally arrived. The air was crisp, the sun was sharp, and the compound was alive — buzzing with the kind of anticipation you can feel in your chest. Like The Masters, The McDonough Open is as much about ritual as it is about golf. Veterans return year after year to the same routines, the same superstitions, the same tiny traditions that, for a few hours, feel sacred.

For past champion Quinn Cullen, this was more than a tournament morning. It was the finish line to eleven grueling months of rehab — and the starting gun for his comeback.

Ryan Brown: Jamie Dempsey once said there are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and sunshine on McDonough Open Saturday. I’ve played in a lot of these, but this? This was the nicest weather we’ve ever had. Simply remarkable.

Eric Collins: You don’t sleep well at the lake to begin with — the beds, the noise, the constant motion. But the night before the Open? That’s a different animal. It’s all nerves. When I was welcomed into this family more than ten years ago (with open arms), I was sleeping in a room with my wife’s aunt and uncle, her siblings, her parents, and an old basset hound. Then I “graduated” to the bunk — which was somehow more crowded. Now I’m back in the house with my four daughters and a handful of others. If you add it all up, I’ve maybe slept fifteen hours total across all the Open eves I’ve played. And I’m fine with it — I’m just too damn excited.

Brian Swift: I like to start the morning on the dock, fishing with the kids. It calms the nerves.

Quinn Cullen: I made the slow walk from our house down to the dock, hoping not to draw attention.

Eric Collins: Like I said, I’m up early. I’ve got one of the twins in my arms when I see Quinn trying to sneak down. I froze.

Brian Swift: I looked over and there he was, coming down the stairs. It was like a scene from a movie where the crowd starts to gather without the main character even noticing.

Ryan Brown: I was locked in on him. He took off his shirt, stepped to the edge. Music started playing in my head. To call it cinematic doesn’t even scratch the surface — I get chills just thinking about it.

Eric Collins: I actually pulled up Eye of the Tiger on my phone. Felt right.

Brian Swift: I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up.

Quinn Cullen: One step. Two steps. Jump. When I came up from the water, the entire Big House dock was chanting my name. I threw my arms in the air. I’ll remember that forever.

Ryan Brown: How could we not chant? Watching him climb out of the water was inspiring. I remember Michael Phelps getting out of the pool after winning gold. This was that moment.

Brian Swift (leading a group of ten kids in unison): “QUINN’S GONNA WIN! QUINN’S GONNA WIN! QUINN’S GONNA WIN!”

Glenn Harding: I’m not much of a crier, but seeing everyone that emotional… it got me. The chanting, the arms in the air — it hit home.

Chris Cullen: I was headed down for my own swim when I heard the chant. I didn’t want to upstage him — we were both up for the same award — so I turned right around and went back to 12.

PRE-TOURNAMENT

If the morning had been all about quiet rituals and emotional moments, the pre-tournament stretch was pure chaos — the kind of buzzing, frenetic energy you’d get if the Kentucky Derby collided with a family reunion and a county fair.

Danny Swift: I’d missed the last few tournaments, living out in California. I’d forgotten how insane it gets once you hit the course.

Will Cullen: Doesn’t matter who you are, what you do for a living, or how many jugs you’ve hoisted — starting this thing takes a full team effort. Coolers to pack? We all pack ’em. Shirts to fold? Fold ’em! It’s our day. We do it together.

Patrick Cullen:  It truly is a team effort. All for one, one for all.

Mark McHale: I dream of this tournament. Oftentimes I’ll come home from the bar and text the guys from my team just hoping that they’re dreaming of winning this too.

Neilson Cullen: It’s pretty cool, we mark off the first cart path so it’s a driving lane for the commissioners to bring down all of the goods.

Jack Harding: I told my sister that you would have to pay me to miss this tournament. I golf once a year. I’ll never miss this thing.

Michael Brown Jr.: We added an MVP award this year. I figured we’d give it to a golfer. Turns out, it’s Jason Whitehead.

Jake Brown: This day simply wouldn’t be the same without Jason on the grill. No exaggeration — there are a hundred guys who wait all year for those burgers and sausages. He’s my MVP every time.

As players peeled off the “range” and “practice green”, Michael Jr. took the stage for his final announcements.

Neil Cullen: I like to get my guys over to the sixth green for a last bit of putting work. It’s about getting our heads right.

Tommy Sabaitis: Glenn always makes sure there are balls ready on the first tee. It turns into this impromptu driving range.

Thom Bynum: It gives us a chance to hit some bombs into the lake. The perfect warmup.

Pat Cullen: I look forward to Michael’s speech every year.

Michael Brown Jr.: Weather was perfect, so I didn’t have much to say. Mostly just reminded people: if you’re going to complain about the pace of play, leave now.

Moments later, the carts scattered like a cavalry charge — and then came the first shot of the day.

Ned Cullen: We don’t do a shotgun start here. We do a quarter-stick start. Giddy up.

EARLY FIREWORKS

Even before the dust from the quarter-stick start had settled, some groups came out swinging like they were trying to knock the cover off the ball.

Bobby Casey: We came into this thing with zero expectations. My dad was making his debut, my brother Jimmy too — both rookies, both eligible for Rookie of the Year. The only real pressure was the fact the whole family was watching.

Jimmy Casey: We’re not exactly a golfing dynasty, but here? The roars start early. You could be standing in the farthest corner of the property and still hear the eruptions when something big happens. It’s like Augusta — if Augusta served light beer out of a cooler and blasted Springsteen between shots.

Chris McGrath: Playing with the Brown boys, you expect fireworks. You just don’t expect them this quickly. The third hole can be a grind, but Jake turned it into a highlight reel.

Chris Rothwell: I’m a rookie. Came in trying to enjoy the day, smoke a cigar. Have some fun. Jake had different ideas.

Jake Brown: We’re 86 yards out, coming off a birdie on two, and I’m thinking — if we birdie here, we’re in position to chase the record.

Mike Brown Sr: Lands, two little hops… and in.

Chris McGrath: I just shook my head. Three under through three. Most people are still finding their swing at that point.

Jake Brown: I looked at my brothers — my golf heroes — and they didn’t even crack a smile. Strictly business.

Ryan Brown: Coming in, my only goal was to make the playoffs. After Jake’s eagle on three, I thought, Okay… forget survival, let’s go for twenty under.

Michael Brown Jr: Then he follows it with a tap-in eagle on four.

Mike Brown Sr: Five under through four. Back-to-back eagles. They weren’t just playing well — they were running downhill with history in sight.

Jake Brown: I’ll never be Michael or Ryan when it comes to raw golf ability. Year after year, they’ve proven they’re the best in the family. My role? Make them proud, chip in where I can, and keep the train rolling.

Ryan Brown: Jake and my Dad beat me and Michael in the Country Club of Scranton’s Member-Member this year. We know how good he is. But for the last month, he’s been putting on this fake humble act — just to get under our skin.

Jake Ryan: Jake and I are both the youngest of three boys. There is nothing sweeter than rattling your big brothers.

Ryan Brown: We started hot, but so did the guys we were playing with. They dropped a birdie on four then Gene dropped a bomb on six to stay on pace for ten under.

Gene Roe: All those post-retirement hours spent honing in my putting on the greens. Liam Mike gave me the read, I let the Ping do the work!

Elsewhere, the course was alive — birdies falling, music thumping, beer disappearing faster than anyone could restock. The picnic disguised as a golf tournament was officially in full swing.

Mike Cosgrove Sr: My shot on eight nearly ended my brother’s life.

Eddie Cosgrove: Inches. Inches from going in. If Michael gets his second hole-in-one before I get my first, I don’t think I could go on.

Michael Cosgrove: I don’t think anyone was even watching the ball. We were all watching Eddie. If that had dropped, the eruption might have registered on a seismograph.

Andrew Kettel IV: We just didn’t have it. Hate to say our team couldn’t agree on anything, but…

Robby Brown: As Cabber liked to say, one in the fairway, two in the bush, if you want to make the playoff, you have to make a push. We just couldn’t convert.

Jim Henkleman: Robby bailed on us for the nuns. I hope next year he is rewarded by the folks upstairs for his commitment to the holiest among us, because this stuff is serious!

Robby Brown: I had to leave. Henkleman will never let me live it down.

Jim Henkleman: Nor should I.

MID-AFTERNOON PUSH

By the time the sun began its slow slide toward the tree line, the front nine fireworks had given way to the grind. Birdies were harder to find. Every missed putt felt bigger. And for some teams, the clock was ticking loudly in their ears.

Kevin Cullen: We just couldn’t find it. The rhythm we had last year? Gone. An early bogey, a couple of sloppy pars… you can feel it when the magic slips through your fingers.

Andres McAllister: This is the greatest day of the year — no contest. We came in loose, playing with house money… and maybe house tequila.

Bert McGilivary: We were the defending champs. Nobody could ever take last year away from us. It stinks we didn’t play as well, but we’re in the history books forever.

Neilson Cullen: I mark this date on my calendar so early it’s practically still winter. But from the first tee, we were out of our lane. Last year, we were hungry underdogs. This year? That same dog was still napping.

Sam Cullen: Will and I usually team up with my dad and brother — it’s our thing. They couldn’t make it this year, which stung. But playing with Uncle Bryan, Christopher, and Tucker? That was perfect. And honestly, we shocked ourselves with how well we played.

Tucker Jones: We were just having fun… until about two-thirds through the round, when we looked at each other and realized, oh my — we might actually be in this thing.

THE BUTLER SURGE

For the team led by Matt Butler, the equation was simple: a playoff spot demanded a final push. The moment needed a spark — maybe even a rallying cry.

Chris Weir: We were only five under through eleven. Was I nervous? Absolutely.

Sean Weir: Tyler and I had driven all the way from South Carolina for this. Whatever happened, we knew it’d be the best day of the year… but we didn’t drive fourteen hours to watch the playoff from the sidelines.

Jake Brown: Butler is ridiculous. No matter the situation, he always finds a way to turn it on.

Bobby Casey: Farrell had been rolling in putts all day, but then his putter went from hot to molten.

Pat Casey: He got us all going a little bit. We’re competitors. Their hot play made us play better. It was fun.

Matt Butler: Walking off our eleventh hole, I pulled Chris aside, looked him in the eye, and said, “Let’s be champions.”

It wasn’t just a throwaway line — it was the mantra of the 1992 CYO State Champion St. Paul’s Crusaders, etched into Butler’s DNA.

Paddy Casey: I think Butler knew my brothers and I had played in state tournaments and never won one. He leaned on that.

Ryan Brown: Only three men have done the double — a state championship and a McDonough Open: me, Butler, Farrell. That’s an exclusive club, and we protect it.

Chris Farrell: Some of the ’92 Crusaders had kids on this year’s St. Paul’s state title team. Butler’s daughter is a cheerleader there. The morning after they won, he texted me: “Let’s be champions… carry this into The McDonough Open.”

Matt Butler: Chris and I have been friends forever. We’ve got a state title together. We’ve married sisters. We’ve won two McDonough Opens together. But a third? That would make us the first teammates ever to do it. We wanted it bad.

Peter Hoos: Is winning a state championship really that hard?

Michael Brown Jr.: I could not believe Hoos said that. He has no clue. None.

Jake Ryan: My jaw hit the floor. Did he really just ask that?

Paddy Casey: It’s really hard.

Patrick Cosgrove: Fewer men have won the McDonough than a state title. My career focus has officially shifted to joining that club.

Matt Butler: That’s what fueled us. “Let’s be champions” stopped being a slogan. It became a heartbeat.

THE LOUDEST PUSH

While Butler’s heartbeat mantra was pulsing across the course, another group was making their own late charge — and doing it at maximum volume.

Aidan Cullen: I brought a couple of my buddies up with one goal in mind: get to ten under. That was the magic number.

Alex Scanlan: I’ve won this thing before. I knew exactly what it took to reach ten. And with James in the lineup, I liked our odds.

Tate Cullen: I’ve been over at Red Maples half the summer. This wasn’t casual for me — I needed to make the playoff. On the last hole, we had a ten-footer to get there.

Brian Walsh: That’s pressure. You could feel it rolling off Mr. Cullen. He wasn’t thinking about next year, he was thinking about right now.

Ned Cullen: WOOOO BABYYYY! GIDDY UP BOYS!

Aidan Cullen: Ten under. Everybody doubted us. Nobody thought we’d get here. Let’s go!

Danny Swift: I hadn’t heard a “Ned Roar” all day. And then I heard it. The whole course heard it. It echoed across Red Maples. Special. Really, really special.

Jake Bynum: I’ve played with Ned and co. before. If they get hot, look out. They’re momentum players.

Neddo Clarke: I think in that whole group, only one of them was wearing shoes.

Bob Brown III: I’ve always said the closest any of us will ever get to the U.S. Open is this playoff. The nerves. The pressure. The size of the crowd closing in. Your hands get heavier, your heartbeat’s in your ears. You can’t beat it.

THE PLAYOFF

There are moments on the sports calendar that seem to bend the laws of time. The opening kickoff of the Super Bowl, when a stadium glitters with thousands of flickering lights. The leaders walking from the 11^th to the 12^th holes at Augusta, the crowd rising to its feet in reverence. Or a crisp October night in the World Series, extra innings, a limping former MVP digging into the batter’s box with the season on the line… the pitch hangs in the air just an instant longer, as if the universe itself is waiting for the swing that will send it screaming over the right field wall for a walk-off homer to win Game 1 and propel their team to the eventual series victory.

These moments are so big, so heavy with anticipation, that the world slows down just enough for everyone to feel the weight of them.

That is how many describe the stillness before the first tee shot at The McDonough Open Playoff. A day that began in chaos — coolers packed, carts rolling, roars echoing across the course — suddenly slips into a hushed calm. The chatter fades. The breeze feels softer. It’s not just golf; it’s ceremony.

The rules are clear: the playoff will feature the top four teams and ties, but ten-under is the magic number — the line that separates the contenders from the rest. For those who reached it, the first mission was complete.

Give yourself a chance.

ON THE TEE, with a score of ten-under par, the team of: Ned Cullen, Aidan Cullen, Tate Cullen, James Pettinato, Brian Walsh, and Alex Scanlan:

Aidan Cullen: Going into this, if you told us we’d make the playoff, I’d have been thrilled… but once you’re standing on that tee box, looking down at the green, you’re thinking one thing: let’s win the whole damn thing.

James Pettinato: We’re competitors. This isn’t just a family outing — this is history. You don’t show up to this moment and hope. You show up and expect.

Alex Scanlan: James and I had this quiet, tense conversation about who should take the shot. It was ten seconds, but it felt like ten minutes.

Tate Cullen: James was the right call. He’s got the calm for this kind of pressure. He hit it solid… just came up short. Ten yards shy.

Ned Cullen: Ten yards short but dead on line. In that moment, I’m thinking, this is chip-in territory. I could already hear the roar in my head.

ON THE TEE, with a score of ten-under par, the team of: Matt Butler, Chris Farrell, Kevin Weir, Chris Weir, Sean Weir, and Tyler Weir:

Matt Butler: “Let’s be champions,” I told myself. Not whispered. Told myself. This was the swing that could change the day.

Joe Hennessey: Heading into the playoff, they were the one team I thought could knock off the Browns. Farrell was draining everything.

Chris Weir: Butler hit it pure. The sound alone told you it was good. It landed past the hole, spun back a touch — maybe 12, 15 feet away.

Kevin Weir: This is why we trust him. He’s done it year after year. In the biggest moments, he just… delivers.

ON THE TEE, with a score of eleven-under par, the team of: Bryan Cullen, Sam Cullen, Will Cullen, Christopher Cullen, and Tucker Jones:

Christopher Cullen: My first year as a full player, and I’m standing here in the playoff. Adrenaline in overdrive.

Tucker Jones: They look at me — not a word spoken — just that look. It’s yours.

Sam Cullen: Tucker’s a past champion. Won this thing a decade ago. The vibes were high, the confidence was higher.

Will Cullen: He took a big rip… and airmailed it long and right. But honestly, that’s the kind of swing you make when you’re going for glory.

Christopher Cullen: Nerves, excitement, the whole cocktail. Sure, it missed, but when you’re in this moment? You swing like you mean it.

ON THE TEE, with a score of twelve-under par, the team of: Jeff Boyanoski, Ben Boyanoski, Nate Boyanoski, Max McGrath, Chris Kane, and Michael McGrath:

Michael Brown Jr.: Ben’s one of the top three or four players in the entire field. Everyone knew they’d be in the playoff. But when he stepped up to that ball, I’ll admit it — I was nervous.

Jeff Boyanoski: Ben’s had a monster golf summer. Great run at Pinehurst, great junior season at Prep. But this? This is different. This is real pressure. This is the shot you build the whole year toward.

Ben Boyanoski: Pinehurst was big. But Red Maples? Red Maples is sacred ground. The history here, the greens, the way the course forces you to think… it makes you good. The pressure of this shot? That’s what makes you great.

Michael McGrath: We wanted another win. Not “would be nice” wanted — needed wanted.

Ben Boyanoski: I flushed it. Dead on line. I’m already picturing it hopping once, twice, rolling tight.

Jeff Boyanoski: Instead, it landed soft — eighteen feet short. No bounce, no spin forward. But in this situation? That’s still a great look at birdie.

ON THE TEE, with a score of eighteen-under par, the team of: Mike Brown, Michael Brown Jr., Ryan Brown, and Jake Brown:

Michael Brown Jr: We got the record. Eighteen under. Four eagles, four pars, ten birdies. Some people tried to say the course was soft, like it wasn’t that impressive. Total BS. Red Maples is always hard. Always.

Ryan Brown: I don’t want to say we talked about this tee shot all year… but we talked about this tee shot all year.

Mike Brown Sr.: One thing was certain — I wasn’t hitting it. I’d let the three of them duke it out for the honor.

Jake Brown: The plan was simple, but perfect:

• Ryan hits it tight, ten to fifteen feet.
• I roll in the putt. If I miss, my Dad taps in for par.
• Michael takes the tee on two, where our real advantage could open the door.

Ryan Brown: I pulled the 50-degree wedge. Perfect strike — crisp, clean. The adrenaline added just a little extra carry, but I figured it would spin back toward the hole.

Michael Brown Jr: He hit a beauty. Jake had been burying putts all day, so we felt like we were in control… but no matter how good the plan, your heart is pounding out of your chest in this spot. These are the swings people dream about.

As players — both still alive and freshly eliminated — began making their way down the hill of  the stadium hole, the reality started to sink in for those who’d missed their chance.

Kevin Cullen: Next year. That’s where my head is already. Next year.

Mark Murphy: You’ve got to make putts in this game. We missed one too many. That’s the difference.

Michael Cosgrove: The greens were slicker this year. A little faster than last, not as hairy. We never fully adjusted to the speed.

Timmy Cullen: I’m going to be a dad this time next year. Next year I can imagine myself winning and holding my baby on the green like Scottie Scheffler. Just trying to take all of this in.

Patrick Cullen: I’m going to be an uncle this time next year. Just trying to wrap my head around that.

Donovan Seher: That’s a scary thought. Let’s refocus on the golf before I drive this cart into the lake.

With three teams already on the green, two more stood over their approach shots, desperate to make them count.

Sam Cullen: Yeah, I flubbed the chip. Wasn’t an easy one, but I should’ve at least given it a look at the hole.

Bryan Cullen: His lie wasn’t great. Can we blame the lie? If Michael let us fluff it up, I think he’d have stuck it tight.

Ned Cullen: We were next, and I’m telling you — I thought we could chip this in. Alex gave it a real scare.

Alex Scanlan: The ball rolled just past the hole. If that had dropped? Oh my… you’d have heard our team anywhere in Pennsylvania.

Aidan Cullen: Thought he had it. Thought we all had it.

Ben Boyanoski: There was some back-and-forth about who was farther away — us or Jake. In the end, Bryan Cullen made the call. It was us.

Michael Brown Jr.: Bryan didn’t hesitate. Pointed right at Ben. Decision made.

Ben Boyanoski: Uphill putt, 18… maybe 19 feet. We’d seen the line. We knew the break. This was the moment.

Michael McGrath: I rolled it exactly how I wanted. Three, four feet from the hole, I was already halfway into my fist pump. I thought it was in.

Jeff Boyanoski: And then… it just slid by. Agonizingly close. Left us staring at a nervy three-footer coming back. But Nate? Nate drains those in his sleep.

Michael Brown Jr: Now we were up. And the man we wanted standing over the ball had the putter in his hands.

Ryan Brown: Jake has this uncanny knack for making clutch putts. Not just today — his whole life. He grinds out pars, then drops a dagger birdie or eagle right when you need it. Of the three of us, he’s the best when the moment’s the biggest.

Mike Brown Sr.: Six weeks ago, I watched him make a putt this exact same length to beat Michael and Ryan. I was confident.

Jake Brown: People laugh when I say Red Maples is as tough a course as any in the area. But it is. These greens… they’ll make you earn everything.

Michael Brown Jr: All four of us kind of stalked it together. In these moments, we naturally defer to Ryan on the read, on the feel. He knows our swings better than anyone.

Jake Brown: Ryan and I locked eyes. “Just outside left. Get it to the hole.”

Neilson Cullen: The look that they gave each other made me feel some things. Wow.

Ryan Brown: Get it to the hole, yes… but if it doesn’t drop, a par is still fine. We still have the edge with Michael on the tee next.

Jake Brown: I rolled it… and left it six inches short. It’s amazing — the grass grows quick at Red Maples. Evening greens are slower than the midday ones. I gave it a chance, but it just… stopped.

Michael Brown Jr: We were still fine. Farrell’s putt wasn’t a gimme either. But all I could think about now was the tee shot. That’s all I wanted.

As the Browns marked their ball, Aidan Cullen’s par attempt slipped past the cup, the faintest miss that felt like a door slamming shut — for him, and wide open for the Butler/Farrell/Weir team.

Every eye in the gallery turned toward one man. Chris Farrell. The putter had been his magic wand all day, and now it was in his hands with history within reach.

Chris Farrell: A few weeks ago, I played in a tournament for my kids’ school. I was awful. Miserable. But sometimes you need that — to strip it back, to remember what focus really feels like.

Chris Weir: You could sense it. I don’t know why, but I just knew he was going to make it. This was his moment.

Tyler Weir: He’d made everything. Long ones, short ones, sidewinders. If the ball was on the green, it was practically in the hole.

Chris Farrell: Just 24 hours before, I was telling a colleague about this tournament — its history, its legends, its stories. I even pulled up the website to show him. And now here I stood, one putt away from becoming a three-time champion.

He settled in over the ball. One slow draw back of the putter for practice. Then another. A breath.

This was no ordinary birdie putt — it was the shot that could alter the record books. Only one man had ever won four jugs — Michael Brown Jr. — and Matt Butler could join him. No set of teammates had ever claimed three titles together — Butler, Farrell, and Kevin Weir could be the first.

Ryan Brown: Those hands… they don’t shake. Not in a colonoscopy, not over a four-footer, not now.

Jack Seher: I couldn’t play this year but I was tuned into the live stream from home. Me and Butler each have three… I kept asking myself, are Farrell and Kevin Weir about to join me, Cullen Roe, and Ryan Brown in this exclusive group?

Cullen Roe: Same boat as Jack. I’m a thousand miles away and just wondering, will Farrell make history?

The green was silent but for the faint hum of the crowd’s breath. Farrell’s stroke was smooth, pure, deliberate. The ball rolled… tracking… inching toward the cup.

Joe Hennessey: The second it left his putter, I thought, this is over.

Matt Butler: It never wavered. Dead center.

Chris Weir: It was all a blur. I got married this year. McDonough Open champion now.. does life get any better than this?

The eruption was instant — cheers, fists in the air, the unmistakable sound of a champion’s roar.

Chris Farrell: Butler hugged me and it all came rushing back — our state title in ’92, our first McDonough win in 2013, our back-to-back the next year. There was no more “Let’s be champions.” I told him, We are champions.

Mike Brown Sr.: I looked at my boys and just smiled. We set the record. We played great golf. We lost to a birdie in the playoff. There’s nothing wrong with that — not one thing.

Timmy Cullen: I don’t know what it is exactly, but there’s a joy you can only find on the green after the playoff ends. The smiles, the laughs, the genuine hugs. I wish you could bottle it — sell it as “Pure McDonough” — because it’s magic.

Donovan Seher: The only sad part is that it’s over. You just want it to go on forever.

Kevin Weir: Where else can you spend seven hours on a golf course with your sons, your grandson, your brothers-in-law, and your nephew? Go ahead — try to find another place in the world that gives you a day like this. You can’t. You won’t. The win is incredible, sure… but this isn’t about the winning. I’m a Mets fan — I’ll win ten McDonough Opens before the Mets win anything. It’s about how damn fun this day is, start to finish.

Tyler Weir: Worth every single mile of the 14-hour drive to get here.

As the field slowly wound its way back up the hill toward the clubhouse, there was no rush. No one wanted the day to slip away too quickly. Some were past champions, replaying their finest shots in their heads. Others were still searching for their moment, already making quiet promises to themselves about next year.

Glenn Harding: I don’t know why, but I’m always one of the last to make it back to the clubhouse. Maybe I’m just trying to soak it in for a few extra minutes. You spend 364 days waiting for this, and when it’s gone… it’s gone.

Michael Brown Jr: There’s this scene in The Sandlot — Benny the Jet, Smalls, and the rest of the crew playing their one night game of the year, under the flicker of Fourth of July fireworks. Smalls says, “We play our best then,” and Ray Charles is singing America the Beautiful in the background.

Jake Brown: Michael’s only saying that because that exact song came on his playlist earlier today.

Michael Brown Jr: Absolutely. But it’s true. We had 82 guys in the field this year, and I swear, we all play our best golf today. Not because of great swings or putts — but because of who we’re with, and what this day means. Every father and son in the field played together. The joy on people’s faces. We’re already thinking about 2026. The weather was perfect. It is always perfect.

And in those last few moments, as the shadows stretch long and the laughter starts to soften, you can see it in everyone’s face — that mix of joy and exhaustion, the quiet understanding that we just lived another one. At some point, we all become those kids in The Sandlot, standing there with our clubs in our hands, looking up into the South Canaan sky, mesmerized by the beauty of it all.

This is the best golf tournament in the world. Twenty-two years, and it just keeps getting better. This place never disappoints.

Patrick Cosgrove: Beautifully said.