There’s more to life than golf. Just ask Meredith Duncan.

After recently becoming eligible to compete on the Legends Tour, the Shreveport, La., native signed up for the LPGA Legends Championship, which is a notoriously good time for its participants. The first timer has already seen the tournament live up to its lighthearted reputation, as not only is Duncan getting to rekindle some old friendships this week, but she’s also teeing it up alongside some of her former idols.

“This is really cool,” said Duncan. “I just turned 45 in March, and it's really good to reconnect with a lot of people that I used to be friends with, and a lot of the girls I used to look up to and kind of be on the same page with them again.”

But despite the fun that this championship brings, Duncan has something heavy on her heart.

Off the golf course, the 45-year-old spends her time coaching girls’ basketball and boys’ and girls’ golf at C.E. Bird High School in Shreveport. One of her girl golfers, 16-year-old Lilly Allen, was diagnosed with Stage IV Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) in March.

Despite this being a new experience for Duncan, she did not hesitate before taking action to support Lilly in her cancer battle. And she’s not alone in her rally behind Lilly.

“This is the first time as a coach that I've had to deal with something like this,” said Duncan. “She had this diagnosis in the middle of March, and all the kids, girls and boys, have really jumped on board and taken control of what we've done on social media, and we've got some fundraisers at home at some restaurants and stuff.”

At the advice of one of the boys she coaches, Duncan had buttons created to sell in support of Lilly, showcasing the team she has in her corner, as well as raising funds for her and her family.

Buttons for Lilly Allen

“Teenagers can be teenagers, as we all know. We were all teenagers once, too,” Duncan said with a smile. “It's really nice to see that kids also understand that there are things bigger than themselves, and there are causes bigger than themselves, and there's bigger than whatever game they play.”

What started as local support has now been brought across the country to Hurricane, Utah, thanks to the former Louisiana State University Tiger. At a player meeting early in the week at the LPGA Legends Championship, Duncan brought the Legends of the LPGA players up to speed on what’s been happening in her hometown, sharing the journey she’s been on with Allen and advertising ways to support the teenager’s cancer battle.

Of course, the membership reacted quickly, and Duncan was selling buttons left and right. Pushing the support even further, she asked icons of the game that her student is passionate about to record short, encouraging messages that she can share with Allen.

“A lot of times, when bad things happen, good people always rise to the top. And we all have dealt with, as we get older, we've dealt with parents or kids or grandkids,” said Duncan. “Everybody's dealt with something, and everybody supports each other.

“We're all doing the same thing. We are all walking the same course and hitting the same shot, so everybody supports one another, and it's just nice to see that they can support somebody that they've never met before.”

Lilly’s journey with cancer has changed the 2001 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship winner’s perspective, reminding her that while the emotions the sport brings out are valid, it’s also just a game.

“There's just more than golf,” said Duncan. “We've all played this game for a long time. We all know there are ups and downs to the game, and sometimes we can take this game as life or death. But in reality, there is a lot more to life, and when somebody else is dealing with something that you have no control over, it puts it all in perspective.”

Unsure of what the future holds, Duncan is sure to treasure every moment, always making sure to express her love and support for Lilly. Radiating happiness and good vibes, Duncan is even becoming one of the “cool kids,” brushing up on the TikTok trends to keep things positive for Lilly during the hardest time of her young life.

“We just love her, and we support her and are thinking about her mom and her dad and her family,” said Duncan. “I send her messages all the time and follow her TikTok and all that, so we try to keep it upbeat, and always just say love you and thinking of you.”

Once Allen is on the mend, the duo has a goal – get Lilly on the bag. Rather than doing the coaching, Duncan will let her student become the master, taking in more than just the life lessons Lilly is already providing her.

But until then, Duncan will tee it up with the Legends of the LPGA Tour, hoping to make Lilly proud.

Players with Buttons for Lilly Allen

Meredith Duncan Playing First LPGA Legends Championship with Something Bigger on Her Heart

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