Natchez High’s golf team got off to a bad start Tuesday at the Class 5A State Tournament at the Briarwood Country Club in Meridian.

Natchez High is in last place among the 13 teams at the end of the first day with a team score of 398.

&uot;We didn’t play that well,&uot; said Natchez High golf coach Tom Matthews. &uot;You have to play smart on this course. It has a lot of trees and a lot of water.

&uot;It’s one of the top ten courses in the state. It’s extremely tough.&uot;

Betsi Powell led Natchez with a 90, followed by Brandon Miller with a 92 and Michael Pace and Akeem West each with a 108.

Justin McElroy had a 139.

Madison Central was in first place with a 304. Northwest Rankin was second with a 306 and Tupelo was third with a 308.

Clinton and Gulfport were tied for fourth, each with a 309. Olive Branch finished sixth with a 319.

Meridian was seventh with a 323. Long Beach finished eighth with a 326. Ocean Springs came in ninth with a 328, followed by Warren Central with a 331.

Columbus finished in 11th place with a score of 357 and Horn Lake was 12th with a 377.

&uot;Each player should get better tomorrow,&uot; Matthews said. &uot;Tomorrow will be a different day. They know the course now. They’ll have to play smarter. But they’re going to get better.&uot;