By TIM GUERCIO

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — The father and son team of Tom and Jackson Bryant came to Sunday’s second and final round of the Spring Four-Ball at Beau Pre with a 3-shot lead, and they shot 64 to go with their 60 on Saturday to win the championship.

The Jacksons were paired Sunday with the second-place team of Brent Garon and Blake Kelly.

That meant both teams could see how the other team was doing.

After nine holes, both teams had carded a 2-under-par score of 34.

With Jackson making a 20-footer on No. 8, team Bryant still held a 3 shot lead. Both teams picked up the pace when they each made birdies on No. 10 and No. 11.

The tricky par 3 No. 13 proved to be pivotal when Garon and Kelly each made bogies, and last to putt was Tom from team Bryant who poured a 10-footer into the cup for a 4-shot lead.

Like a great horse race when they round the last turn and head for home, these two teams battled down the stretch run.

Garon hit it 2 feet from the hole on No. 16 for a birdie, and Tom covered him with a downhill 12-footer.

Kelly knocked it 1 foot on No. 17 and Tom ran it in from 22 feet.

Kelly chipped it to 6 inches for a third tap in birdie in a row while Tom finished it out with a 5-footer for another team Bryant birdie and a four shot victory to win the championship.

Many of his competitors offered congratulations to Tom and Jackson.

“Thank you, that was nice, but more than anything else I love playing golf with my kids,” Tom said afterward as he sat in the clubhouse.

The first flight champions went also to a father-and-son-team of Hayden Kaiser and his 16-year-old-son, Chase.

Starting the day one stroke back with a 67, Kaiser and Kaiser went out and fired a 66 to win their flight.

“Hey, dad, we need to make three birdies in a row,” Chase said after shooting a 34 on their front nine holes and making a par on No. 10, which is a birdie hole.

So Chase proceeded to make a 3-foot putt on the next hole for birdie, another 20-footer for birdie on the next, and a 15-footer on No. 13. On No. 15, a short par 4 but over water Chase drove the green to 8-feet and made that putt too for an eagle.

“That was one of the coolest shots of my life,” young Kaiser said of his tee shot over the water.