NATCHEZ &045; Barely past the state’s driving-age limit, Jordan Farmer nearly had a set of new wheels to roll up in at Cathedral High School today.

As part of the annual Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic, Duncan Park Golf Course’s par-3 13th had a Chevrolet Impala awaiting the first golfer to go one and done for the hole-in-one.

So sure his 4-iron tee shot had disappeared into the cup, the Cathedral sophomore threw his hands into the air like he had just scored a touchdown.

The ball bounced five feet from the pin and started off for the hole. It came within two inches, winked going by and left the foursome of Jordan Farmer, Henry Farmer, Gary Farmer and David Cothern essentially a gimme birdie putt, which they made on their way to a 17-under 54, capturing the championship flight title in a rain shortened 18-hole event Sunday.

The scramble originally called for 36 holes, but Saturday’s weather forced officials to push up the tournament.

&uot;It was dead into the win,&uot; Jordan Farmer of his near ace, &uot;and we had just gotten done making eagle on 12, so I had a lot of confidence. I went at it and it landed five feet short and I thought I had made it.&uot;

The Farmers along with Cothern edged the team of Jose Oakley, Eddie West, K.G. Watkins and Steve Conover by a shot.

The Brown family, consisting of Louie, Ricky, Dean and Dwayne, who won the Fortunato last year, finished with a 14-under 57.

Money raised goes directly to the Miss-Lou chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, which presents scholarships to area student-athletes after the end of football season.

&uot;Every year we hope to carry between 150 and 200 golfers,&uot; said Fortunato, a former football player at Mississippi State and a five-time Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears. &uot;And even though there were six tournaments during April, we had a good crowd.&uot;

Thirty-eight teams competed in five flights, including the championship flight, during the weekend.

&uot;I think everybody understands the reasoning for this tournament,&uot; the NFF’s current president Kevin Whittington said. &uot;They know it’s going back to the community and we appreciate all everybody has done to back us.&uot;

Jordan Farmer said he used Sunday as a tune-up for the Mississippi High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A state championship that will be held at Bea Pr beginning Wednesday.

Usually positioning himself near the last in a four-man scramble, Farmer asked the rest of his group if he could hit one or two Sunday, he said.

&uot;I think that helped because it felt like I was playing in a single tournament,&uot; said Farmer, who is relatively new to the sport with three years under in his bag. &uot;It forced me to focus and concentrate a lot. Ninety percent of your golf game is in your head. That’s what I believe, so I’ve been working on my mental game. You’ve got to block everything out.&uot;

His foursome did that with every part of their games, bombing drives, finding fairways, playing creative into greens and sinking important putts when they needed them.

&uot;I really thought with the eagle at 12 and birdie at 13 it sewed it up for us,&uot; Jordan Farmer said. &uot;It was a total team effort. Mr. David made some putts we really needed, because the putts were either breaking a lot or they’d be slow.&uot;

Farmer said everything felt perfect on Sunday, calling it &uot;the best I’ve ever hit.&uot;