Oldsmobile a scramble down to wire

Published 12:00 am Sunday, June 24, 2001

There’s a lot of time between now and Aug. 20. But for the four-man golf team of Adrian Sandel, Kurt Russ, Chad Huber and Chris Hutchins, time will be of the essence.

The foursome won the Oldsmobile Scramble at Beau Pr\u00E9 Country Club Saturday, assuring themselves of a birth in the regional tournament on Aug. 20. And they will need all the time they can possibly have to practice for the tourney that will be held at Beau Pr\u00E9.

&uot;We’ve got to practice a lot between now and August 20,&uot; said Sandel, whose team shot a 12-under 60 on the par-72 course.

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&uot;We played well. Kurt Russ and Chad Hutchins both hit the ball well. Everyone putted well. We had a good round.&uot;

The key to the group’s round was a 30-foot putt made by Sandel on the 18th hole. He knocked it in from the fringe to give the squad a birdie and the winning score. The group battled a little nervousness after they finished.

The foursome of Jim Lessley, Jay Lessley, Mary Lessley and Alan Coley stood at 10-under par with two holes to play, but they parred the 17th and birdie the 18th to finish in second place.

The Oldmobile Scramble is different from other scrambles. Each foursome must use two tee shots of each player.

Sandel said another key to the group’s round was approach shots.

&uot;The key to this deal is the approach sot to the green and the putts. We had some long putts we made.&uot;

For the regional final – which includes golfers from Mississippi and Louisiana – the winning group will be joined by Beau Pr\u00E9 club pro Mark Powell, creating a fivesome. Each group in the regional tourney will have its pro on the team. The winner of the regional tournament earns a berth in the national tournament, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., at Walt Disney World.

&uot;(The tournament) was great. It’s a real good team,&uot; said Powell. &uot;They have a real good shot to go to Orlando.&uot;

For Powell, the good news is that the both the men’s and women’s regionals will be Beau Pr\u00E9. &uot;We’re lucky. The state elected to come back here.&uot; He also added that having a solid sponsor – Great River Olds -helps lure the tourney to Natchez.

There will be about 30 teams at the regional.