NATCHEZ &045; After getting off to a slow start, the team of Paul Sparks and Larry Davis lit up the Duncan Park Golf Course Saturday to finish at 10-under-par 61 for the first-round lead in the fourth annual Wharlest Jackson Elks Lodge No. 1675 Golf Tournament.

&uot;We started off poorly,&uot; Davis said. &uot;Then we turned it on at No. 7. We made six straight birdies. We missed an eagle putt on No. 11. Paul played good. I didn’t play very good. Paul carried our team today.&uot;

Davis said he and Sparks will probably have to shoot 12- or 13-under to win the two-man scramble that benefits junior golf at Duncan Park.

&uot;If we make some putts, we’ll do real well,&uot; Davis said.

Sparks and Davis are one shot ahead of the three-time defending championship team of David Cothren and Gary Farmer, who shot a 9-under 62.

&uot;We played okay today,&uot; Cothren said. &uot;We didn’t hit the ball like we should’ve, but we made some putts. We could’ve shot better, but we could’ve shot a lot worse had we not made some putts.

&uot;When we hit the greens we left ourselves about 15 to 18 feet, but we made a couple of those.&uot;

That included a huge birdie putt on No. 12 that kept Cothren and Farmer tied with Sparks and Davis at 8-under through 12 holes.

But it was the par-3 13th hole that the defending champs lost the share of the lead.

&uot;We didn’t hit it close to the green,&uot; Cothren said. &uot;We missed a 10-footer for par. We played tit-for-tat with them after that.&uot;

Both teams showed off their outstanding short games on the long par-5 14th hole.

Sparks and Davis chipped from just in front of the green and both nearly chipped in for eagle, with Sparks’ chip shot hitting the flagstick, bouncing near the hole, and then rolling off the green and Davis’ chip shot going just left from hole, which set up an easy birdie putt.

Farmer and Davis had to chip from just right of the cart path. While Farmer’s chip shot came didn’t get as close to the hole as he would’ve liked, Cothren’s chip shot almost went in for eagle and they, too, birdied the hole.

&uot;Overall we played well and we’ve got a chance tomorrow,&uot; Cothren said. &uot;If we can shoot 12-under tomorrow we’ve got a chance. Assuming someone doesn’t shoot real well today.&uot;

Chuck Fields and Ross Hufford

finished with a solid round of 7-under 64, at the time good enough for third place in the championship flight.