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Brothers shoulders Citrus' load

Nick Brothers comfortably lounges in a chair at his home. Nearby is a dry erase board in the kitchen with the statement written above a lesson plan: "Doing the things you don't like to do develops character."

By DAWN REISS
Published August 31, 2006

INVERNESS - Nick Brothers comfortably lounges in a chair at his home. Nearby is a dry erase board in the kitchen with the statement written above a lesson plan: "Doing the things you don't like to do develops character."

It's early on a Wednesday afternoon. Brothers has finished his video-based home-schooled classes and is taking some time to relax before Citrus High golf practice at El Diablo Golf and Country Club.

It was only a year ago that Brothers came onto the high school golf scene as a virtual unknown. He did not play his freshman year. As a sophomore, he quickly ascended from No. 4 to No. 1 midway through the season. Last year, along with his teammates who included sophomore Bobby Bang, and Charlie Hendrick, Bradley Davies and Kyle Klauder, who have since graduated, Brothers led the 'Canes to a Class A region title against perennial private powerhouse, Saddlebrook Prep. The win made Citrus the lone public school qualifier in the state championship. It was, said longtime Citrus coach Chris Richardson, the biggest win the program had ever had.

A year later, the team is young. The squad has three promising freshmen - Zach Stanley and twins Austin and Ryan Connors - and a starting rotation that doesn't include a senior.

Brothers, better known as "Bro" on the course, is the leader by way of his ability to hit the fairways and greens consistently with a calm manner.

"Nick is a 45-year-old in a (junior)'s body," Richardson said. "He's a very serious and a very good golfer. His approach to the game is more mature than most."

Brothers isn't a long-ball striker and he's still perfecting his short game. What makes Brothers stand out is his ability to deal with adversity on a hole. Recently, Brothers triple bogeyed a first hole, but came back to finish 1-over par through 37 holes.

"That's an old competitor to not fold the tents in on the first hole," Richardson said. "A lot of players take a triple on the first hole and just can't get over it but when Nick marks a score down, he's not worrying about it."

Though Brothers is relatively new to the local golf scene, he has been playing for a while.

He picked up his first plastic club at the age of 2 or 3 and has learned under the tutelage of his father, Plantation Inn director of golf Jimmie Brothers.

"I can remember him being blue with cold, hitting balls out there on the range," his father said. "Asking to play one more round when it was time to go."

Since kindergarten, Brothers flip-flopped between public and home-schooled settings in south Florida, Ohio and most recently Citrus County. After attending Pleasant Grove Elementary as a fifth grader, Brothers went to Inverness Christian Academy as a sixth grader, then Inverness Middle until halfway through his eighth-grade season when his mother decided to home school him once more.

"My mom wanted to home school me, my dad wanted me in public school," said Brothers, whose parents are divorced. "They both have pros and cons."

Though Brothers said he prefers public school, home schooling does allow him more time to golf. he spends most days watching videos and reading books, teaching himself, his mother, Laurie, said.

Ultimately, Brothers would like to play collegiately and become an engineer or work in another field that involves math. Until then, his plan is to lower last year's average by two strokes to 37.

"I just want to play my game," Brothers said nonchalantly. "Whatever happens, happens. "

Dawn Reiss can be reached at (352) 860-7303 or dreiss@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 31, 2006, 06:07:32]