Pam Posey of Marion won her second straight qualifying round at the Mississippi Women’s Golf Association Tournament at Beau Pre Monday, and hopes it leads to her first-ever state championship.

Posey shot a 71, five strokes ahead of Lou Hart, Sheila Haynes and Tammy Wroten, and six strokes ahead of five other golfers.

Posey finished second to Cissye Gallagher in the finals last year, her third time to finish second.

&uot;I had one of those days where everything was working good,&uot; Posey said. &uot;I’m usually confident in my putting. I realized I was three-under after 10 holes and I got to thinking about it. Then I went bogey, bogey, bogey in the middle of my round. But just in time I stopped pressing and began hitting more greens and kept in the fairway.&uot;

As the defending champion, Gallagher did not have to play Monday and is considered the No. 1 seed.

Tricia Brooks and Lisa Whitam of Natchez are also in the championship flight after both players shot 81s.

Whitam drew Gallagher in the first round today. The two played a practice round last Tuesday at Beau Pr\u00E9.

&uot;I’m excited about it,&uot; Whitam said. &uot;It’s going to be a fun experience. It will probably never happen again. I’m just going to go out and play my game like I did today and see what happens.&uot;

Brooks, who will begin work as an assistant golf pro at Beau Pr\u00E9 after the tournament, shot an 81.

&uot;I didn’t hit the ball well,&uot; Brooks said. &uot;I putted real good. I got up and down the course pretty good, but I&160;had a couple of penalty strokes. It didn’t turn out as good as I would have liked.&uot;

Also in the championship flight after shooting an 81 is 14-year-old Katherine Jones of Jackson.

Posey knows the tournament has just begun.

&uot;There’s still a lot of golf left to play,&uot; she said. &uot;But I definitely feel confident after today (Monday). I felt good coming in and I just hope it continues.&uot;

Sally Durkin of Natchez shot an 82, firing a 39 on the front nine before finishing the back nine with a 43. Durkin, who will be in the first flight, said the heat wore her down.

&uot;I was very comfortable on the front nine,&uot; Durkin said. &uot;I felt like I was playing aggressive, but the heat took its toll on the back nine. I struggled.&uot;

Cindy Hollingsworth of Meridian shot a 77 to land a spot in the championship flight.

&uot;I&160;putted real well,&uot; Hollingsworth said. &uot;I&160;had two double bogeys, but actually played good.&uot;

Hollingsworth was a junior golfer in Alabama before moving to Meridian in 1989.

&uot;I’m just getting back into tournament golf,&uot; she said. &uot;I didn’t play any tournaments last year.&uot;

Hollingsworth, who plays at Briarwood Country Club, said her goal was to make the championship flight. Now that she has reached that goal, she has made another one.

&uot;I’m hoping me and Pam can meet in the finals so that someone from our club can win it,&uot; she said. &uot;My goal now is to stay in it. I feel I’m as good as anybody except maybe Pam, Lou and Cissye.&uot;

But Hollingsworth said Beau Pr\u00E9’s layout is to her advantage.

&uot;It plays short, so it helps people like me who don’t hit the ball long,&uot; she said. &uot;Long-ball hitters have won this tournament in the past. &uot;That’s what I like about this golf course. It helps the players with higher handicaps.&uot;

Pat Dickens and Judy Powell of Natchez will be in the second flight as Dickens shot an 87, while Powell had an 88.

Agatha Haring of Natchez is in the third flight with an 89.

Other Natchez scores were Peggy Berniard with a 95, junior Betsy Powell at 100, Peggy McCall at 104, Jean Daigre and Frances Meason at 106, Bethany Overton at 109, Rhonda Kaiser at 115, Mary Lessley with a 121, Cheryl Dillon at 129 and Barbara McKinley at 144.

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