NATCHEZ — The 2014 Mississippi Women’s Golf Association State Amateur Championship will be hosted at Beau Pre’ Country Club in Natchez this week.

Practice rounds today, and the qualifying round will begin at 9 a.m. Monday. The event is Tuesday through Thursday.

The last time Natchez hosted the state’s only match play tournament for women was in 2003.

The tournament has been played in every area of the state — including Sunkist Country Club on the Gulf Coast, Tupelo Country Club in Tupelo, Briarwood Country Club in Meridian, Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point and Reunion Country Club and Deerfield Country Club in the Madison area.

The tournament is a match play event, with one 18-hole qualifying round for flighting purposes. The field consists of players from all over the state and of all levels of ability.

Lou Hart, a nine-time winner and member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, is a regular contender who will be in attendance Monday. Cissye Gallagher is a ten-time winner of this event. Her two daughters, Mary Langdon and Kathleen, will also participate in the tournament.

The Elizabeth Edit McKinney Trophy will return to Beau Pre in a ceremony as well.

The Beau Pre Ladies Association established the award in 2000 to recognize the city’s connection to the tournament and honor lady golfers who promote the game throughout the state.

Lou Hart was the trophy’s first recipient in 2000. For ten years, recipients were selected by a vote from their fellow golfers during the State Amateur.

Now the award will make its way back to Beau Pre to retire.