BIRDIE QUEEN: Plymouth golf sensation Morris is a magnificent ball-striker
Brooke Morris’s cool, calm and collected attitude on the golf course has been key to the par-or-under rounds she has routinely carded during her career at Plymouth High School.
Plymouth High School senior golf star Brooke Morris did not always have her sights set on the middle of fairways.
Up until her freshman year as a Wildcat, Morris was an accomplished cheerleader for the Canton Township-based Michigan Panthers junior football league program.
“When it came time for me to decide what I was going to pursue in high school, my dad (Greg) asked me: ‘Would you rather have people cheering for you, or would rather be cheering for other athletes?’,” Morris reflected. “Once I thought about it, the answer came pretty easily.”
The personable Wildcat chose golf — and she’s been accumulating eye-popping accolades ever since.
Par breaker
On Sept. 20, Morris shot a 2-under-par nine-hole score of 34 on Howell’s Ironwood Golf Club to lead the Division 1 No. 2-ranked Wildcats (according to iWanamaker) to a resounding victory over the Highlanders.
Her round included an eagle on the first hole and a birdie on the last.
Plymouth owns a dual match record of 5-1 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. The Wildcats’ lone setback was a tight eight-stroke loss to No. 1-ranked Brighton.
“I started taking lessons at Fox Hills when I was around 11 and really started getting into golf when I was 13 or 14,” she said. “I’d say I picked up the sport pretty quickly. My dad has been a huge part of my success as has my coach at Fox Hills, Will Ellender. Will has really helped my mental approach, which has improved my confidence.”
“I love playing for Nick (Fotiu, Plymouth’s head coach), too,” Morris added. “He makes sure we’re focused and have the right mindset.”
Flawless demeanor
Fotiu said Morris is the perfect role model for the Wildcats’ younger golfers, who learn from her cool, calm and competitive attitude.
“Anyone who has ever golfed knows it can be a frustrating sport,” Fotiu said. “Brooke rarely hits a bad shot, but when she does, she immediately shrugs it off and moves on to the next shot. Her mental focus is outstanding.
“Her demeanor on the course is so cool. She’s always making friendly conversation with her competitors. Brooke is a great leader, but not just because she’s a great player.”
In addition to her father, Morris’s biggest fans include her mom Joyce and brother Luke, who golfed at Plymouth and at Alma College.
Positive mindset
When asked how she overcomes the frustrations that accompany her favorite sport, she said positivity is the key.
“I try to envision where I want the ball to go and have a good plan set up for every shot,” she said. “Every shot is new, so I try not to think about the one I just hit or the one I’m going to hit later.”
Morris’s success did not come overnight. She spends several hours a week practicing — including during the winter months when she is a regular inside the Fox Hills Performance Center.
Morris said the best part of her game is probably her driving.
“I can consistently hit my driver pretty straight and around 240 yards,” she said.
The next chapter
An outstanding student, Morris isn’t sure where she’ll attend college, but she has her sights set on an out-of-state institution with a solid golf program.
“I have a friend who goes to Grand Canyon University in Arizona and she has told me it is an amazing place,” Morris said. “That would be nice. If not there, a school in Florida would be great.”
Thoughts about the next chapter of her amazing journey will have to wait at least another month, though, as Morris is laser-focused on helping the Wildcats win the school’s third Division 1 state championship.
A feat that would surely generate thunderous cheers.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
