Brothers was born in
Rutherford County, Tennessee, (near Nashville). He learned to play golf at Clarksville Country Club under professional Henry Livingstone, the brother of
George Livingstone, the pro at Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville. In his youth, Brothers sustained a severe injury to his left arm, resulting in a permanent deformity. He was riding in a car with his arm out the window when the car was sideswiped by a truck. The fractured elbow healed with an angular deformity and restricted motion, but it did not prevent him from developing a near-perfect
golf swing. “It was set up perfectly for a putter,” joked George Creagh, a protégé and frequent playing partner. “His left arm pointed toward the hole... he was an excellent putter.” He served as chairman and president of M.P. Brothers Co., a family enterprise involved in wholesale grocery distribution, supermarket retail, farming, and aviation. He entered the aviation business in the late 1950s. He was a partner in Big Brother Aircraft, a chartering company, aircraft distributor, and FAA-certified aircraft repair station in Nashville. Brothers flew a corporate plane to grocery stores he owned in Alabama. His brother was Russell White Brothers Sr., a Nashville civic leader and businessman. His wife, Sarah White Cunningham Brothers, died on February 8, 1980. He had four children: a daughter, Mrs. William Tucker; and three sons, Mack P. Brothers III, Dr. John C. Brothers and Judge Thomas Brothers. ==Golf career==