NATCHEZ — Even though only 11 teams participated in the 17th annual United Way Golf Scramble Friday afternoon at Beau Pré Country Club, Mike Gemmell, chairman of the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou, was pleased with the turnout.

“It was better than expected because of the economy, so many competing golf scrambles, garden tours, Relay for Life, the Natchez Music Festival. There were a lot (of events) going on this week,” Gemmell said. “It shows that people from Adams County and Concordia Parish support the United Way.”

Gemmell added that a lot of credit goes to board member Dick Walcott, Christine Brinegar, who just started a week ago as an administrative assistant, Tiffany Mascagni, the new executive director for the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou, Bradley Harrison and Terry Trovato.

Gemmell said that Beau Pré golf pro Tom Bryant did a good job of putting on this four-man scramble that helps the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou raise funds for several local charities, including the Adams County 4H and the Red Cross.

Walcott was also happy with the turnout despite the temperature reaching the lower 90s.

“I thought we had a nice turnout. Everybody had fun,” Walcott said. “The course played really good. It’s in great condition. We didn’t play very well, but we had fun.”

One team that played more than well was the Forrest Johnson Team of Forrest Johnson, Richard Edgin, Wes Middleton and Jordan Farmer. That team started with an eagle on its first hole, the par-5 8th hole, and went on to finish in first place with a round of 18-under-par 54.

“Everybody played well. Jordan and Richard really carried us with the drives,” Johnson said. “We did a good job of getting up and down and making the putts. We had 16 birdies and one par.”

“We struggled early on with the putting. The mulligans helped us,” Farmer said. “But it came around. Other than that, we hit the ball well. It was fun.”

The United Mississippi Bank-sponsored team of Adrian Sandel, Adrian Stallone, Kurt Russ and Chad Huber ended up in second place at 16-under-par 56.

“We parred both par-3s on the back side and parred No. 2 from 63 yards out. That’s what cost us,” Russ said. “We made one eagle on 18 and that was the only thing that was semi-spectacular. The rest was straight forward golf.”

The Isle of Capri Casino-sponsored team of Tony Scudiero, Jason Cluck, Buddy Duplechain and Robert McNeely came in third at 13-under-par 59.