From

staff reports

HATTIESBURG &045; Beau Pr golf pro Tom Bryant finished in a tie for sixth place overall at the Farm Bureau Insurance Invitational Sunday.

Duke Simmons, an amateur, won the tournament with a total score of 218.

Bryant’s three-day total of 220 put him one stroke behind Leigh Brannan for second place among professionals playing in the tournament.

&uot;I did all right,&uot; Bryant said. &uot;I didn’t win, but I did cash a check.&uot;

Bryant took home $2,550. The top pro, Brannan, won $4,000.

Bryant, who will leave Beau Pr to try to earn a living playing tournament golf full time at the end of this month, said he was pleased with his play though unhappy about not winning the event.

&uot;I was expecting more. I expected to win, and I’m a little disappointed in that sense,&uot; Bryant said. &uot;But it’s better than a bad showing.&uot;

Bryant led the tournament for much of the second round until running into trouble on the par-five No. 17, on which he shot a quintuple bogey after taking four penalty strokes. That 10 helped give him a score of 76 for the day, dropping him three strokes out of the lead.

&uot;I tell you, that 10 hurt,&uot; Bryant said. &uot;But I hit it well enough to make up yesterday and just didn’t make the putts. I just didn’t get it in the hole.&uot;

Bryant said he hit the ball well Sunday from the tee and fairway but didn’t make putts. He shot a 73 but couldn’t make up enough ground on the leaders.

&uot;It was just a case of nothing really good, nothing really bad,&uot; Bryant said.

Bryant hadn’t played in a competitive tournament in about three years, he said. Back then he competed as an amateur before coming to Beau Pr as assistant pro, then head pro.

&uot;It showed me that I still have it in me,&uot; Bryant said. &uot;I’m going to go out there and compete.&uot;