Grand Blanc’s Kate Brody, right, receives the 2023 Miss Golf trophy from Debbie Williams-Hoak, president of the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association. (Brendan Savage-MLive.com)

HARRIS — Kate Brody of Grand Blanc has excellent genes, especially when it comes to golf.

The mother of 2023 Miss Golf Michigan is 1993 Upper Peninsula Ladies Golf Association champion Jennifer (Kangas) Brody, a 2020 inductee into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame and former LPGA member.

Mom is also a graduate of L’Anse High School, where she played three sports and was all-state in golf and All-U.P. in basketball. Later she was golf team captain at Michigan State University for two years.

Kate’s father Doug is head pro at Warwick Hills Golf Club in Flint, the host of the PGA Tour’s Buick Open for more than 50 years until 2009. Kate’s younger brother, Tyler, is also a golfer, playing at Grand Blanc High School this spring.

Brody, 18, has one of three exemptions to play in the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Course today through Sunday. Her mother was her caddy for practice rounds here earlier this week.

Also getting exemptions are former University of Wisconsin golfer Tess Hackworthy and former Michigan State University golfer Leila Raines, a native of Russia.

“That will definitely help my focus,” Brody said of having her mom along during practice. “I’ll take my rounds super serious.”

The future University of Wisconsin golfer plans to focus on her short game.

“Adjusting to the greens will be important,” she said after hearing the greens are slick and undulated, with typically difficult pin placements.

Her mother doesn’t play competitively any more.

“I never got to see her play when she was really good,” Kate Brody said. “I hear the stories she tells and I listen to her advice. I know what she is talking about.”

Players earning exemptions have never made the cut at the IRC. Brody hopes that her improved game and Callaway Paradym clubs that have given her more length with her irons will be helpful.

“I’ve gotten stronger,” Brody said, noting she’s gained 15 to 20 yards on her irons. “I am a super good ball striker.”

Brody also played basketball and soccer and was a swimmer as a youngster.

“I liked those sports better with the team aspect,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “I was better at it, but I’m super independent and I like the individual aspect of golf. I didn’t have to rely on anyone else, it was all up to me. I fell in love with it. I was over playing basketball and soccer. I loved competing.”

She gave up basketball after her freshman season.

“No regrets doing that,” she admitted.

Having her parents so heavily involved in golf was a bonus.

“It definitely helps having two parents in the business. They never forced me into anything,” she said.

“I was able to learn to love golf on my own and know what works for me,” Brody said about her parents being so involved at Warwick Hills growing up. “My ma was forced into golf. She was good at golf but it kind of pushed her away from it because she played it so much. Kids have to learn to live it on their own.

“I do love golf and I can see myself playing golf the rest of my life. I don’t know what will happen after college, but I do hope to give it a try after college and see how that goes.”

Sbe plans to take business courses at Wisconsin.

“I don’t want to do something I dread,” she said. “I want to be around golf, and my parents definitely see a lot of sides of the game.”

She is looking forward to playing in the tournament. Her tee time today was scheduled for 7:52 a.m. EDT.

“It would be awesome to make the cut and be worth the exemption and worthy of the spot,” she said, adding she is also looking forward to college and playing golf for the Badgers. “I’m just really excited to have a team and work with girls just like me,” she said.

Earning Miss Golf was the realization of a long-time dream.

“I’m just Kate and want people to know me for the person I am and I don’t want them to know me as Miss Golf,” Brody said. “I’ve worked super hard to get to this point.”

She also mentioned she received plenty of attention in the recruitment process from the University of Michigan.

“I want to go off and do my own thing. I’m looking for a new adventure,” she said.

Brody, who also won the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Finals golf tournament as a sophomore, shot a sizzling 10-under-par 62 at the Fortress in Frankenmuth during the state finals — PGA player Rich Beem had the previous course record — and was under par for every tournament except two, where she was 1-over-par and 2-over-par. Her scoring average was 36.25 for nine holes and 69.5 for 18 holes.

She also hopes to join her mother as a Michigan Women’s Open champion.

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