NATCHEZ — Thanks to an eagle on the par-5 5th hole and some unexpected help by the team that went into its last hole with a share of the lead, the team of Wes Middleton, Garret Jones, Josh Loy and John Carlton ended up winning the 2012 Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic Saturday at Duncan Park.

The four-man team of Dr. Jeff Anderson, Casey Ham, Kevin Smith Jr. and Tom Matthews entered the par-4 1st hole at 18-under-par and had a short birdie putt to finish in first place in the championship flight. But all four of them missed a three-and-a-half-foot putt to finish with a round of 53 — the same score as that of Middleton, Jones, Loy and Carlton, which played in the morning.

The outcome was decided by a scorecard playoff and the team of Middleton, Jones, Loy and Carlton prevailed while Anderson, Ham, Smith Jr. and Matthews, which played in the afternoon and began their round on No. 2, had to settle for second place.

“I brought up a pretty good team to the tournament. We eagled 10, 11 and 15 (to go with 12 birdies). Parred the two par-3s on the back side, 13 and 15,” Anderson said. “We always support Joe Fortunato and his effort that he does. The course is in great shape. We always have a lot of fun playing the Joe Fortunato (Celebrity) Golf Classic.”

The winning team, which started on No. 11, finished with 14 birdies, another eagle on No. 14, and pars on 6 and 9, the two par-3s on the front nine.

Third place in the championship flight went to the team of George Hude, Dustin Ward, Father David O’Connor and Lucius Butts, which finished at 15-under-par 56. That team ended up with 15 birdies and three pars.

Four teams shot a round of 13-under-par 58, but only three of them ended up in the first flight. Finishing last in the championship flight was the team of Noland Smith, Jack Benson, Bub Mullins and Howard Jones.

“I always play in this and I play with my father-in-law, Bub Mullins,” Jones said. “The food’s always good. Everyone takes good care of you. And it’s for a good cause.”

The team of Doug, Dean, Jake and Louie Brown wound up in first place in the first flight. Second place went to the team of Jeremy Loy, Mark Carter Jr., Josh Hargon and Brian Fisher. The third-place team in that flight was Richard Prescott, Steve King, Cookie Wilson and Jimmy Moffett.

The Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic benefits the scholarship fund of the Miss-Lou Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, which has its annual awards banquet in February. This year 25 teams participated in the four-person scramble. There ended up being 98 players with 23 four-person teams and two three-person teams.

Chapter President Freddie Sandel said the turnout was good, but he was hoping it could have been better.

“We had a respectable turnout. Not as good as we’ve had in the past. We usually get 12- to 130 golfers. But the last two years it’s been dropping off,” Sandel said. “I think this time (of year) is saturated with golf tournaments. We’re proud of everyone who came out here and played golf. This morning was nice. It was overcast and cool. It was a good morning for golf.

“Mr. Joe (Fortunato) came out and spent much of the morning with us. Noland Biglane, one of the original founders of this tournament, was also out here.”

Sixteen of the 25 teams played in the morning while the other nine teams tried to battle the near-90 degree heat in the afternoon.