The crew at Duncan Park Golf Course put the finishing touches on the course Friday in preparation for the Bill McKinney Memorial City Golf Championship. And despite the rain that fell yesterday, the course will be in ideal shape for the two-day tournament.

&uot;Everything looks great. We just got two inches of rain to make the grass jump a little higher than it is,&uot; said club professional Marvin Gray. He added the rain won’t affect play or the course at all.

&uot;Marvin has done an outstanding job on the golf course,&uot; said Greg Brooking, a four-time city champion. &uot;Players from Natchez will enjoy playing. I look forward to good scores from quality players.&uot;

Eighty-seven golfers signed up for the event, which will kick off at 10 a.m. today. The field is loaded with great golfers from the Miss-Lou. Jay Lessley is the defending champion and is fresh off a second place finish at the Farm Bureau Invitational at Beau Pr\u00E9 Country Club last weekend.

He’s looking to become only the fifth golfer to win the tourney in back-to-back years.

&uot;He’s the pre-tournament favorite because of his tournament play at Beau Pr\u00E9,&uot; Brooking said.

Pete Powell, a 10-time champ, could become the first golfer to win the title in each of the four decades the event has been held. Brooking is striving for a similiar feat. If he wins, he will have collected championships in three decades.

All are welcomed to attend the tournament at Duncan Park.

Play will continue on Sunday at noon.