NATCHEZ — Jay Lessley began the final round of the Bill McKinney Memorial City Golf Championship five shots behind first-round leader and 11-time champion Pete Powell.

Even though Lessley figured he would have an outside chance of winning the championship, he probably didn’t expect what happened Sunday afternoon at the Duncan Park Golf Course to happen.

Lessley won his third city championship, and his first since 2003, in the most unlikely of ways — he defeated Powell on No. 8, the fifth hole of a sudden-death playoff. Lessley two-putted for par and Powell could not get up and down for par from the other side of the cartpath to the right of the green.

“I’m happy. I didn’t think I was going to win. I thought I would have to shoot a 66 to into a playoff. But I also thought that Pete would shoot 70 or 71. Would’ve never thought Pete would shoot 74,” Lessley said. “I enjoyed it.”

What helped get Lessley into the playoff were birdies on No. 17, the 14th hole of the day, and on No. 3, the 16th hole of the day. Lessley finished with six birdies and four bogeys, including one on the par-5 5th hole, the 2nd hole of the day.

Lessley shot a 2-under-par 69 to finish with a two-day score of 139 while Powell bogeyed No. 17 and No. 18 — the 14th and 15th holes of the day — to finish at 3-over-par 74 and a two-day total of 139.

“I had a couple of three-putts and the case of lefts and rights with my iron shots,” Powell said. “I had that right in the middle of the fairway doing that all day long. I was at 1-over and then made two more bogeys after the rain.”

Powell said that the 45-minute rain delay in the middle of the afternoon had no affect on his play toward the end of the round.

The sudden-death playoff would normally start on No. 1 and then to No. 2. But because players in the fourth flight were not through with their rounds, the playoff started on No. 1, then to No. 8 and on to No. 9. Both Lessley and Powell parred each of the those three holes. So it was back to No. 1 and again a par by Lessley and a par by Powell before Lessley won the title on No. 8.

Casey Ham would have made it a three-way playoff had it not been for a costly bogey on No. 4, the 17th hole of the day. He finished at 2-under-par for the day for a two-day score of 140.

“Wish it wouldn’t have rained. I was 4-under when it started raining,” Ham said. “I birdied four out of five holes — 10, 11, 12 and 14. Then I came back out and made double bogey on 15, missed a 12-footer on 16 for birdie and made birdie on 17. The course is in great shape, too.”

Chuck Fields won the first flight despite shooting a final-round 75 to finish with a two-day score of 149, three shots ahead of second-place Mark Carter Jr.

“I just got a few breaks today. Made a few putts,” Fields said. “The course is in great shape. Hat’s off to the crew out here for such a good tournament.”

Peter Powell Jr. of Flora, Pete Powell’s son, fired a 1-under-par 70 to win the second flight with a two-day score of 148.

“I played good today. I hit the ball really well. I had five birdies and four bogeys,” Powell Jr. said. “I just made some putts today. I didn’t putt the ball well yesterday. I was glad with how I played today.”

Ricky Williams of Natchez shot a 72 to finish with a two-day total of 154 and won second place in a scorecard playoff over Steve Scarborough.

“I hit from the white tees. I putted real good,” Williams said. “I had five birdies. I putted better today than I did yesterday. I hit the ball pretty much where I wanted to. The course is in great shape.”

Prem Vidhana won the third flight after a final-round 79 to finish at 162, one shot ahead of Mitch Ashmore. Tim Bradley won the fourth flight in a scorecard playoff over Joe Miller. Bradley had a final-round 83 to finish at 175 while Miller shot an 82 to end up at 175.