When Brannon won his first title in 2008 his mom Anne was on hand to watch.
"We lost her later that year," said Brannon.
Brannon's dad, Buddy, was on hand Sunday to watch his son win his second title.
Buddy Brannon has stage IV lung cancer.
"We almost lost him a while back," said Brannon.
The weight of the moment — never far from Lee Brannon's thoughts all weekend — came crashing down on him when he was standing on the fairway at No. 18 after a long and straight drive, waiting to hit his approach shot.
"I got all choked up coming down 18," said Lee Brannon. "I was thinking just get it on the green and got all teary eyed."
"He's the one who got me into golf," Lee Brannon said. "In the 1980's he'd drop me off here, we'd walk 9 holes and he'd pick us up. He and my grandfather played 100's of rounds out here."
"I love that man so much," Lee Brannon said of his father. "He means so much for all of us — the whole family."
Walking off No. 18, Brannon smiled and pointed to his dad.
Buddy showed up at the course for a little while both days, as much as his condition would allow, to see his son. And Lee truly made it a moment to remember, winning by seven strokes. The timing was impeccable, the tribute fitting and the moment priceless.
(John Sullivan is the sports editor at the Griffin Daily News.)

