NATCHEZ — When Greg Brooking talked with a former rival and teammate Clark Fitts last year, he was approached with the question — “What are we going to do about golf?”

“What do you mean?” Brooking responded.

“It’s dying,” Fitts told Brooking. “We need to do something about it.”

“I told him, ‘I do something about it, Clark. For the past eight years I’ve had the Norman Puckett Junior Clinics.’ He said, ‘How can I help you?’” Brooking said.

Because of the generosity of Fitts, who donated balls, hats and clubs, and J.H. Thames, who donated $2,000, the first year of the Norman Puckett Junior Golf League Tournament ended with children receiving prizes as well as a new enthusiasm about golf.

Andrew Corrin of the Eagles (one of four teams that participated in the tournament each Monday in July at Duncan Park) played golf for the first time in his life. Judging from his experience, Corrin is sure he’ll be back to play more.

“It’s a great opportunity for ––competition and to grow in golf,” Corrin said. “It’s been an eye-opening experience to play a new sport. It’s been a little out of my comfort zone, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”

Brooking said the best part about the format is kids are able to get together with friends and form a team to compete against other junior golfers. Corrin was encouraged to play because his good friend Quade Rushing signed up and invited him to come and play with him.

“This is one time when the grownups don’t tell them who to play with, so they get to pick their friends,” Brooking said. “Some of them come with one friend and end up on a team with two other friends, and they usually all become friends.”

In the team format, the Rebels defeated the Eagles, Tigers and Aces. Kaden Arnold, Harper Jones, Jackson Jones and Alex Owens will be rewarded with their names being placed on the Norman Puckett Jr. Golf League Tournament Champions trophy that will stay at Duncan Park.

“It was a lot of fun,” Jones said. “We got to play against our friends, and today, we made five 3’s and then a 5.”

Brooking said though the tournament featured some kids younger than 10 years old, they all grasped the concept of playing with a team. He said the junior golfers used the knowledge from the Norman Puckett Jr. Golf Clinic in June and put it to practice in the tournament.

“I was amazed at the pride and the competitiveness that they took out there,” Brooking said. “Some would be in tears if they didn’t win. This is great for the future of golf.”

Tiger members Bennett Gilly, Grayson Guedon, Catherine Owens and Noah Russ placed second in the tournament. The Eagles placed third, and the Aces were fourth.