NATCHEZ &045; It was about as close to deja vu all over again as one could get in the first round of the 2003 Gulf States PGA Thanksgiving Junior Classic at Beau Pr Country Club.

After an hour delay because of the frost and freeze that hit the Miss-Lou Tuesday morning when the temperature plunged into the 20s &045; similar to what happened in 2000 &045; 72 players from Mississippi and Louisiana and even one from Tennessee were ready to tee it off.

In the boys 16-18 age group, 18-year-old Brent Herman of Metairie, La., took the lead after shooting a 1-under-par 71. He was the only player to shoot under par in the opening round.

&uot;I hit the ball pretty well. I made a lot of putts,&uot; Herman said. &uot;I didn’t make too many mistakes. I hit a lot of irons off the tee on the back nine.

&uot;I just wanted to hit the ball in the 110- to 95-yard range and just try to get it within 10 feet and I did it.&uot;

Herman had four birdies for the day and shot 3-under on the front nine.

Jarrett Marchand of St. Amant, La., is three shots back after firing a 2-over 74.

And don’t count out those players who are just four shots back after rounds of 3-over 75 &045; Lee Jones of Natchez, Chris Jordan of Baton Rouge, La., and Reid Blundell of Mandeville, La., who were in the boys 16-18 division, and Drew Dulaney of Raymond, whose 75 was the low score in the boys 14-15 age group.

&uot;I hit the ball real good,&uot; Dulaney said. &uot;I played good except for a triple (bogey) on No. 2. It’s one of the easiest holes, but I screwed it up. Other than that I played real good.&uot;

Dulaney also had three birdies and three bogeys in his round.

Two shot behind Dulaney in the boys 14-15 age group was Joseph Spinosa of Madison, who shot a 77.

&uot;I hit the ball real well, but I didn’t putt real well,&uot; Spinosa said. &uot;I missed a lot of birdie putts. I feel like played real well. The course played real hard.&uot;

The boys 14-15 and 16-18 age group will be merged into a boys overall (14-18) group for today’s final round, with the first group teeing off at 7:30 a.m.

Yes, there were about the usual number of players withdrawing because of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday &045; 12 to be exact, with three other players taking their places.

And because of the cold weather delay, the last group didn’t tee off until 10:30 a.m.

There was even a hole-in-one on the tough par-3 16th hole by 14-year-old Mary-Michael Burns of Baton Rouge, who used a sand wedge from 77 yards out.

Witnesses to the ace were Mary Kate Byrne and parents Johnny and Charlotte Byrne.