NATCHEZ — The 2012 edition of the Cliff Merritt Invitational Golf Tournament at Beau Pré Country Club was different than the ones held in 2009 and 2010.

First, the weather reminded golfers of golf’s golden days.

“This year was a different tournament because it was so cold. The weather conditions were almost like Scotland,” Dr. Bill Hurt said. “It kind of reminded you of the old game in England and Scotland.”

Then there was the competition itself. The outcome of the tournament between Team Red, led by team captain Dr. Robbie Savant, and Team Blue, captained by Hurt, was up in the air until the final match of the day.

“This is the closest match we’ve had, so that’s good. It tells you about the parity of the players,” Hurt said.

Both teams had 19 total points with one match remaining — Team Red’s Robert Paradise and Linda Gardner versus Team Blue’s Wayne Miley and Michael Rabb. And the team of Paradise and Gardner prevailed to give Team Red the win with 20 points.

“We had a real good team. The team of Kenny Jackson and Mike Riche’ gave us three points. Another team, Andy Smith and Jim Reber, also won three matches for us,” Savant said. “Everybody has a good time. Howard (Jones) does a great job setting up the teams. All the ladies do a good job setting up the food.”

And if that wasn’t enough, the tournament also had another first.

“We also had our first-ever Cliff Merritt hole-in-one,” said Merritt, the president of Delta Bank who has been battling colon cancer for three years.

Scott Nipps of Little Rock, Ark., had a hole-in-one on his very first shot of the day on the par-3 7th hole from 184 yards away. Omer Davis, Nipps’ playing partner in the morning match, was one of the witnesses.

“First shot of the morning. First guy on the tee box,” Nipps said. “It hit about six yards left of the pin and the ball kicked right, and it rolled along and then it disappeared as it rolled by the flagstick. When we rolled up to the hole, we were pretty sure it was in the hole, because we didn’t see any balls on the green. We he took some high-fives. We screamed, and we took some pictures.”

The one constant was that this tournament is to honor Merritt and to raise money for the fight against cancer. All the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

“We remember what the cause is about. Cliff tells us this — early detection for cancer,” Savant said.

“The reason we do this is to honor Cliff Merritt, who has done so much for this area,” Hurt said.

“I enjoyed the hell out of it,” former Beau Pré golf pro Tom Bryant said about this year’s tournament. “I’ve always wanted to play in one of these. Now I got the chance to. The money goes for a good cause, and it’s for a great man.”

“(The weather) was pretty tough. Everybody’s used to the warm weather. We had a February day in April. The host committee does a great job running this thing. They do all the work.”

“It was cold and windy and wet. But it’s for a good cause and a good man. The only thing we didn’t have was snow,” Woody Allen added.

Both Merritt and Jones said they were pleased with the turnout for this year’s tournament — 26 players on each team.

“We had some conflicts in which some of the regulars couldn’t come. But we still have a very good turnout in spite of the weather,” Merritt said.

“We had a really good tournament,” Jones said. “We only got a tenth of an inch (of rain) out here, so we got lucky. The golf course is in fantastic shape. Each year we’ve raised thousands of dollars for cancer research. We’re very thankful to Cliff to lending his name to this tournament.”

And Hurt added after giving out prizes for closest to the pin and the worst shot of the day that the Cliff Merritt Invitational Golf Tournament will be back next year.