NATCHEZ — On a day when some teams struggled to make birdies on a hot and humid Sunday in the final round of the second annual Tom Matthews Memorial 2-Man Scramble at Beau Pré Country Club, there were a few teams that stood out from the rest.

The team of Bobby Meason and Eddie Burkes shot its second straight round of 9-under-par 63 to finish with a two-day score of 126 for a two-shot victory over three other teams in the championship flight.

“We played well in spots. When one of us fell down, the other one got up,” Meason said. “The pins were a lot tougher (than they were on Saturday), and it was muggy. It was a lot of fun playing with our old buddies Pete (Powell) and Paul (Guido).”

The Meason/Burkes duo started its round on the par-5 18th hole and ended its round with a 25-foot birdie putt by Burkes on the par-4 17th hole.

The team of Guido and Powell finished in a three-way tie for second place in a tournament in which there is no scorecard playoff to break any ties. That duo shot a final-round 7-under-par 65 to end up at 128.

“We hit it OK, but not good. It’s just one of those days where everyone felt they should’ve made more birdies than they did,” Powell said. “The course played a bit harder today. It was a little bit windier.”
The championship-flight first-round leading team of Kevin Smith Sr. and Woody Allen just could not keep its momentum on Sunday. The duo wound up with a round of 5-under-par 67 to finish at 128.

“We didn’t make anything happen. We didn’t make any putts, and you’ve got to make putts in a scramble,” Smith Sr. said. “But it was for a good cause. This tournament’s in Tom Matthews’ honor and its for a fund by Wharlest Jackson. Tom enjoyed putting this on and being out here.”

The proceeds from this tournament benefits a scholarship fund for local youth golfers via the Wharlest Jackson Elks Lodge — the sponsor for the two-day tournament. Out of a possible maximum of 36 teams, 32 teams participated in this year’s event.

Also finishing in a tie for second in the championship flight was the team of Tripp Bryant and Jackson thanks to back-to-back rounds of 8-under-par 64 to finish at 128.

The round of the day belonged to the team of Lee Jones and Cole Bradford. They lit up Beau Pré’s golf course to the tune of 11-under-par 61 for a two-day score of 126 to finish three clear of the field in the first flight.

“We hit it good,” Jones said. “Cole had to play hard to carry me around today, but we had a lot of fun, and it was a good tournament.”

The team of David Cothren and Mel Beltzhoover had a final-round score of 6-under-par 66 to finish with a two-day total of 133 to win the second flight by one shot over the team of Ricky Veron and Kenny Savage, which had consecutive rounds of 5-under-par 67 to finish at 134.

The duo of Jerry Beauchamp and Donnie Lord won the third flight thanks to back-to-back rounds of 1-under-par 71 for a two-day score of 142 and some help from the team of Chris Maxwell and Wade Heatherly, which struggled during a round of 1-over-par 73 to finish at 143 and in second place.