Golf tourney a success

By Patrick Jones | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, April 25, 2008

NATCHEZ — The team of Eric Smith, Randy Martin, Benny Bell and Joey Summrow, which was one of two teams sponsored by Peoples Bank of the South, was the low gross team Thursday afternoon at the eighth annual Co-Lin Natchez Foundation Golf Classic.

The Smith-Martin-Bell-Summrow team shot a round of 17-under-par 55, but had to take first place on a scorecard playoff thanks to a birdie on No. 13. The MMC Materials-sponsored team of Chuck Holloway, Richard Edgin, Chuck Fields and Jeffrey Anderson also shot a 17-under 55.

“Randy Martin led the team to victory,” said Summrow, who grew up in Gloster and now lives in Hattiesburg. “We had 15 birdies, an eagle on 18 and two pars. Eric Smith was the driver of the ball. Benny Bell was my childhood hero. He played baseball, basketball and football.

“It was a beautiful day, a little windy. I love Beau Pré. To shoot 17-under is a lot of fun.”

Despite finishing seventh among the gross scores with a round of 59, the team of Mark LaFrancis, Eileen Maher, Jake Middleton and Jody Waldrop, which started on No. 10, had the low net score with a 49.85.

“We started off with three pars. Then we got a birdie. Then we birdied 15, 16, 17 and 18 to go to five-under,” Middleton said. “It was really a team effort. It couldn’t have worked out any better. We putted well. It was a lot of fun.”

On the front nine, which was their back nine, LaFrancis, Maher, Middleton and Waldrop birdied eight of their nine holes with their only par occurring on the par-3 7th hole.

The Co-Lin Foundation Golf Classic was hosted by Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez and the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation. All net proceeds from this four-person scramble will benefit the Co-Lin Natchez student and faculty development scholarships.

Eighty-three players participated in this year’s tournament and Charlotte Hill, executive director of the Co-Lin Foundation, said she was very pleased with the turnout.

“Ninety percent of this is the result of the Co-Lin Foundation members. Bill Salters is the president of the foundation. He works closely with the administrative staff to make the event successful. He’s a volunteer.”

Hill said there are three other Natchez representatives on the board — Andrew Calvit, Terry Estes, and Woody Allen, who is the newest Natchez representative.

“This is a collaborative effort between the foundation board and the administration, faculty and staff of Co-Lin Natchez,” Hill said. “Mark LaFrancis, who is the public informations director at Co-Lin Natchez, serves as a liaison between the foundation board and the Natchez administration, faculty and staff. It’s a highly successful event because of the combined efforts of a lot of people.”