Not only has the Wright City senior won a pair of tournaments, most recently the Versailles Invitational, but she has also made an important decision about her future.
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The start of the 2026-27 school year has been exciting for Morgan Nute.
Not only has the Wright City senior won a pair of tournaments, most recently the Versailles Invitational, but she has also made an important decision about her future.
Earlier this month, Nute verbally committed to Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
Nute said that everything she’s seen about her upcoming collegiate experience just feels right.
“After a lot of thought and consideration, I ended up deciding on MSSU because it was the best overall fit for me,” Nute said. “I will be studying nursing, and they have a well-recognized program with a brand-new Health Science building. I have also enjoyed my time in Joplin and at Twin Hills, their home course. The coaches, Coach Griffith and Catron, have also been great throughout the whole process and were definitely a big factor in my decision.”
Wright City Coach Stephen McClain lauded Nute for her choice of a future school.
“Her commitment to MSSU was a highlight of the season so far,” McClain said. “It is a big decision and I think she made the right choice. She seems very excited about it and I am happy for her.”
Nute, who finished third at the Class 2 state meet last fall, has unfinished business on the links as a senior, though.
Last week, in a tournament defined by a series of momentum shifts, the Wright City senior endured bogeys, miraculous escapes and a back-nine tightrope walk before finishing atop the field at the Versailles Invitational.
“I think my biggest strength was keeping my composure, even when things weren’t going so well out there,” Nute said. “The round was definitely a rollercoaster today, especially the first six holes, considering I had zero pars. There was definitely a lot that could have gone a bit better in terms of the golf, but I was still proud of finishing at 75.”
Off an opening salvo of two birdies and four bogeys on the front nine holes, Nute led California junior Jalynn Kiesling by two strokes with four to play.
On the par-four, 259-yard No. 15, Nute bogeyed while Kiesling birdied to join her atop the leaderboard.
Still, Nute persevered.
She parred the final three holes to recover those two lost strokes, and carded a 75 ahead of Kiesling’s 77.
“When number 15 didn’t really go well for me, I knew the match was then tied up,” Nute said. “But I knew I could finish well if I just kept it steady for the last three holes. My main goal was to win, but also if I lost, I wanted it to be because she beat me, not because I handed it to her. I knew all that I could control was my own game, so I just made a goal to finish with three pars, and that’s what I did.”
While Nute’s steady hand brought home the title, she did hit her share of top shots during the event.
She recalled one swing during her opening salvo of success and another towards the end of the round.
“A couple that stand out to me are my approach shot on No. 3; I was blocked by a tree slightly and was able to punch a 7-iron up to about 5 feet,” Nute said. “The other was my drive on No. 14. It’s a tight hole, and my options were to lay up or be more aggressive. I ended up taking the aggressive route and hit my drive very well, and I only had about 30 yards in.”
McClain said that the senior continues to work on her game and improve as much as she can during her final season of high school golf.
“I am extremely proud of Morgan's last two weeks of golf,” McClain said. “She has put in a tremendous amount of work this season, which allows her to continue to improve despite already playing at a high level. Her approach to the game continues to impress me.”
The win marked the senior's third tournament this season, two of which ended in titles. She won the Boonville Par-3 event on August 28, where Kiesling finished third.
Nute then followed that by finishing third at the Hannibal Lady Pirate Invitational on September 2, but she got back to her winning ways on Thursday.
She aims to keep those winning ways going throughout her senior season, into the postseason, and all the way to college.
“I am definitely looking forward to joining the team,” said Nute of Missouri Southern. “I am so thankful and blessed for the opportunity.”
