Team’s 12-under par wins scramble

Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 31, 2003

NATCHEZ &045; For about 30 minutes, Mike Henry didn’t know where his teammates Bub Mullins, Fred Mange, Steve Comeaux and Butch Metcalfe would finish at the 2003 Memorial Day Breakfast Scramble at Beau Pr Country Club.

They ended up finishing as the tournament’s winning team after shooting a 12-under-par 60 and winning a scorecard playoff with a birdie on hole No. 10 over Chris Martin, Lee Martin, Al Reed, Kathy Reed and Tom Purvis, who also teamed up to shoot a 60.

&uot;We had a great time,&uot; Henry said. &uot;Bub Mullins was playing from the gold tees and he put us in great position every time.

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&uot;I didn’t think we’d have a very good chance. But after seeing the scores, I think we do have a chance of finishing in the money (top three).&uot;

That was before all the teams turned in their scores. After realizing that he and his teammates won on the scorecard playoff, Henry said, &uot;I’m very pleased. Very happy.&uot;

Mullins was the closest to the hole on hole Nos. 7 and 13.

Both the first and second place teams had 12 birdies and six pars.

&uot;Our ‘A’ players played well,&uot; Purvis said. &uot;They knocked the heck out of it. Our handicap players helped out with the short shots. I felt like I contributed. Lee Martin was hot on putting. He putted really well. Christopher was our long-ball hitter.

&uot;The weather was good. We had a good set of personalities. We enjoyed each other. Kathy made two or three crucial putts for birdie.&uot;

Chris Martin won the men’s long drive and was the closest to the hole on No. 16.

The team of Gene Francis, Preston Francis, Bob Latham, Wayne Potter and Alan Coley, who started on No. 10 looked like a sure lock to win the tournament after teaming up to shoot 7-under on the back nine. However, they struggled somewhat on the front nine and finished at 11-under 61, but still finished in third place and in the money.

&uot;On the front nine, we couldn’t get close enough to make any putts,&uot; Potter said. &uot;We missed a number of makeable putts. Alan Coley gets the credit for most of our birdies. It was a team effort.

&uot;Preston was our long drive. He hit over 300 yards several times. He got us in great position, but we couldn’t make any putts. We’re just happy to be in the money. We had a great time. It was nice and cool.&uot;

One example was on the par-3 16th hole. After Gene Francis’ hit his tee shot from 144 yards out to about 12 feet from the pin, none of the five players on the team made the putt, and they had to settle for par. The birdie would have given them a 60 and a chance to perhaps finish first instead of third.