photo by Steve VanGunda

Jason Rooks and Richard Edgin watch teammate Wesley Rogers chip his ball onto the green of hole one during day two of the Joe Fortunato Golf Tournament Sunday afternoon. Rogers’ team finished third overall for the tournament.

Winning team uses eagles to come from sixth

By Patrick Jones | The Natchez Democrat

Published Monday, May 5, 2008

NATCHEZ — The team of Kevin Smith Jr., Casey Ham, Larry Davis and Rick Anderson entered Sunday’s play at the 16th annual Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic in sixth place in the championship flight.

And while all but one of the five teams that were ahead of them struggled in the final round, Smith, Davis, Ham and Anderson were on fire from start to finish as they shot a 19-under-par on the Duncan Park Golf Course to finish with a two-day total of 34-under-par 108 and a one-shot victory.

“Three eagles helped. We all played together. We didn’t get in any trouble,” Davis said. “We drove the ball well, putted well. We should’ve had four eagles. We missed from about 12 feet on No. 3. We used our mulligans well. Dr. Anderson chipped in for eagle on 11.”

Being two shots back of the leaders at the end of Saturday’s action, Davis said he figured that he and his teammates would have to shoot at least a 53 to have a chance. They did one better and that proved to be the difference. In addition to the eagle on 11, they also had eagles on two par-5 holes — No. 5 and No. 14 — to go with 13 birdies and two pars.

The only team in front of them that didn’t falter was the team of Bob M. Dearing, David Francis, Claude Hewitt and Blayne Ingram, which backed up its 55 on Saturday with a 54 on Sunday to finish at 109.

“We had a good time. Bob Dearing was hitting his drives on the green. He had a hot putter,” Francis said. “He told us what to do. The course was in excellent shape. We kept the ball below the hole. This is our third time together. We know this golf course like the back of our hands.”

The Dearing-Francis-Hewitt-Ingram team had 15 birdies and an eagle on No. 14 to go with two pars.

The team of Richard Edgin, Tom Matthews, Wesley Rogers and Jason Rooks had a share of the first-round lead and ended up in third place after a round of 57 to finish at 111.

While this year’s edition of the Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic lacked the celebrities who usually play, Terry Estes, president of the Miss-Lou Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, said he was pleased with the turnout of 145 players for the four-person scramble.

“Noland (Smith, who was an All-Pro for the Kansas City Chiefs), was going to play, but he got sick. Bailey Howell got tied up. A weekend tournament, it’s tough on celebrities. The spring schedule, it’s tough on people. A lot going on,” Estes said. “Von Hutchins was going to come down here, but he was busy. Maybe he’ll be here next year.

“Chick Graning, who was an All-American at Georgia Tech, is playing. Allen Brown, who played with the Green Bay Packers, does the cooking. Charlie Hinton, who played for the New York Giants, came out here to visit. Joe Fortunato hosts the tournament.”

A scorecard playoff determined first, second and third place in the first flight with the team of Greg Brooking, Jackson Bryant and Ken Smith ending up with the top spot with a two-day score of 116. Second place went to the team of Bubba Bruce, Al Strickland, Alan Smith and Mike Essary. Both of those teams had final-round scores of 57.

Despite shooting a 56 to also finish at 116, the team of Adrian Stallone, Phil Hale, Billy Gillon and Doug Scruggs had to settle for third place.

“We drove the ball better and putted better,” Gillon said. “It was dry. Lack of moisture. It’s a great day. It was fun today. Nobody slowed us down. It was steady movement.”

The team of Bonnie Pyle, Earl Pyle, Glen McManus and Keith Walters won the second flight after shooting a 61 for a two-day score of 124.

The team of Charles Merritt, Melvin Jackson and Eddie Winchester broke away from the pack by shooting a final-round 59 to win the third flight with a two-day total of 124.

“We got off to a great start. We had a birdie on 12 and 13 and an eagle on 14,” Merritt said. “One of our guys couldn’t be here. Didn’t even have to use all our mulligans. My two partners have never played in this tournament before. They enjoyed it from what I’ve heard. And it’s for a good cause. It’s a great day for golf.”