Local golfer takes home city championship for fourth-straight year
Published 11:25 pm Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Jordan Farmer is having trouble finding room for his five Natchez City Championship trophies.
Entering Sunday as the leader in the clubhouse with a 6-under 65, Farmer ran away with his fourth-consecutive city title and added a hulking, shiny new cup to his collection of hardware.
“The new (trophy) is the biggest one,” Farmer said. “Maybe I’ll put it in my new office … I have trophies from my other tournaments on bookshelves at my house, but this is a lot bigger than the other ones.”
Farmer is the first champion to win four-consecutive city tournaments.
Farmer held the lead by three strokes heading into the final round Sunday, which granted him a spot in the championship flight of the tournament. He recorded a 1-under 70 in the final round to hold the lead and win the championship by six strokes.
“I’d almost be more comfortable trailing because you can get complacent with the lead,” Farmer said. “Everybody else is gunning at you. Definitely the first few holes were nerve racking.”
Farmer said the key to finishing strong was getting into a routine and staying confident enough to hit aggressive shots.
“Eventually I got comfortable, and it was just playing a regular round of golf,” Farmer said.
The Cathedral High School graduate has the advantage of familiarity when it comes to playing Duncan Park Golf Course. Farmer said he used to walk the course every day during golf season at Cathedral.
Farmer described the course as “old-time,” and said the narrow and small greens on the back nine make approach shots difficult at the end of the round.
Having played the course so many times, he said he’s seen it transform into one of his favorite places to play.
“It’s hard to put in the words how much better this course is from five or six years ago,” Farmer said. “We have extremely strong fields in our local championships and it’s something we all look forward to each year.”
Farmer said the streak didn’t start in the same confidence that he extended it with this year. In 2013, the city championship was the first time Farmer had swung a club since having back surgery.
“ By the grace of God I won, and I didn’t even know if I was going to be playing golf again,” Farmer said.
The streak started, and the rest is history.
Farmer said he used to play lots of team sports as a kid. Four consecutive city titles later, he’s glad he stuck with golf.
“Something clicked with golf,” “I love that it’s all on you … I enjoy the pressure and that mentality … it’s a great hobby and helped me business-wise.”