Oh, Brother

Purcell standout golfer Morgan Chambers and her younger brother Nathan have a relationship similar to most siblings. They occasionally fight. They give each other a ribbing. And they are competitive. But every time Morgan steps on a golf course, the imprint of her game comes from Nathan, who unintentionally got the senior into golf. "He always tells me I wouldn't be anywhere without him," Morgan said. "I don't know if I would have the success in golf that I've had because I probably would have been doing something else." That happenstance several years ago created the best golfer in school history, one of the best in the state the past four years, a two-time Class 3A state champion and a player who has signed to play Division I golf at Baylor. "I mess around with her sometimes that I am the one who discovered her," said Nathan, a sophomore who has won several tournaments this year on the Purcell boys team. "I may have helped her get started, but she is the one who put all the hard work into it." While Morgan is garnering all the attention, Nathan had something to do with that. Nathan first started playing when he was 8, tagging along with their father who constructs golf courses. Golf wasn't in Morgan's interests -- at first. She competed in softball, basketball and track. But she always got dragged to Nathan's golf tournaments. "I would watch a little bit and then sit in the golf cart and read a book," Morgan said. "I finally got bored being out there and doing nothing, so I started playing, too." At the beginning, the then 13-year-old went to the golf course with Nathan and former teammate Morgan Gay to mess around. But soon, the goofing off ended and the passion for golf grew. It doesn't mean it was effortless. "I was really lousy at first," Morgan said. "I had to work hard and I put so much time into it. Nathan always said I was the worst player he had ever seen. "It didn't come easy to me, that's why I liked it. It was a challenge." Although it was difficult, the success came quickly. Nearly two years after she started playing golf, she won the Class 3A individual state championship and helped Purcell capture its first state title. "The first six months she improved a lot," Purcell coach Mike Gowens said. "Once she took hold of it, she was persistent and worked hard. She got consistently better. We knew Morgan was a good player, but I think she was as surprised as anyone that she won it." Morgan suffered a setback a year later, finishing third at the state tournament despite leading Purcell to another team state title. It may have been a disappointment, but she recognized more about herself. "It motivated me to get it back," Morgan said. "My sophomore year, I put pressure on myself that I had to win everything. I learned my lesson." Said Gowens: "She played flawless, the best I have ever seen her play." Morgan has continued the outstanding play. She has been named American Junior Golf Association Academic All-American and HP Scholastic Junior All American. She was also champion at the November 2006 Links at Water Chase Texas junior tournament and was runner-up at the Abilene AJGA Tournament in November. "She's just a competitor," said Plainview coach Buddy Capps, whose team finished runner-up to Purcell last year. "She's a pretty complete player." This year, Morgan will try to win her third individual state title and lead a young team attempting to capture its fourth straight title. She will do it with her strengths on the golf course - a powerful driver, consistent iron play and a good short game. "She's been a great leader on the team since she was a freshman," Gowens said. "She sets a great example on how to get better. She stays very calm on the golf course. She is very rarely rattled. It's so hard to teach a young person that. She shoots a bad shot and forgets about it. She does that better than any girl I've ever seen." That not only comes from competing against opponents, but her brother as well. While he is a big reason she started playing golf, it doesn't stop her from trying to show him why she is so successful. "I've beat him once in my life," Morgan said. "He usually wins because he hits the ball so much longer than me. But it helps because we challenge each other. We help each other and give each other tips." Said Nathan: "The only person I ask how my swing is doing is her. We're very supportive. It really helps. I'm glad she chose to play golf."