NATCHEZ — A field of approximately 80 players, including the last two champions, will descend on the Duncan Park Golf Course this weekend for the 2019 Bill McKenney Memorial City Championship Golf Tournament.

Duncan Park golf course superintendent Greg Brooking said that 75 players had already registered for the tournament that takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Even though registration officially ended on Tuesday, Brooking said that eight spots remain open.

“Eight more spots is all we can take,” Brooking saod. “And those are 7:25 a.m. and 7:35 a.m. (tee times on Saturday). Any time you have between 70 and 80 golfers, that is a full field. We can’t afford to have more than that because it would take all day. And if we have rain delay, that would really set us back.”

Tee times for the first round on Saturday are currently set to start at 7:25 a.m., but that is subject to change.

Among the favorites this year are defending city champion Casey Ham and 2017 city champion Tom Bryant, won finished runner-up to Ham last year.

“Jordan Farmer, he’s won this several times. He’s always a favorite,” Brooking said. “Jay Lessley had won this four times. Pete Powell and Paul Guido, they’ve each won this a lot. Bill Byrne, Kevin Smith Jr. Gary Farmer is playing well now, as is Mark Carter Jr.”

Powell was won this tournament more than any other participant — 11 times.

Brooking said a sleeper pick this year is Kenny Weeks, who is Bill McKenney’s grandson and now lives in Oregon. Brooking added that Weeks flies in to Natchez to play in this tournament and wants to win it really bad.

Despite all the rain that has fallen in Natchez throughout the month of July, Brooking said the course is in really good condition.

“We’ve been fortunate in that it drains really well. The players will be quite pleased with the conditions (of the course). Unless it rains this weekend,” Brooking said.