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NATCHEZ — Tom Bryant, twice a golf pro at Beau Pré Country Club, played steady golf over the weekend at the 2023 Beau Pré Club Championship. However, the same could not be said for defending champion Jordan Farmer.

Bryant, who won this prestigious title twice before in the late 2010s, entered Sunday’s final round two shots behind and in the final pairing with Farmer, who appeared on his way to winning his second straight Beau Pré Club Championship after a masterful first-round score of 6-under-par 66.

Just like he did on Saturday, Bryant shot a second straight round of 4-under-par 68 to finish with a two-day score of 128 to emerge victorious in the championship flight. What perhaps was stunning to everyone was that Farmer struggled in his final round and closed with a disappointing even-par 72 for a two-day score of 130 — only good enough for second place.

“Every time I play, I try to win. I’m getting old, though. I’m 65. I’m not supposed win anymore,” Bryant said. “But I played good this weekend. I played good both days and Jordan had a tough day (Sunday). I’m pleased that I won.”

Even though Bryant now works at Xpress Recycling, Inc. in Vidalia, he will still get the parking space closest to the clubhouse at Beau Pré once again.

“This is my third one. I won back-to-back in the late 2010s,” Bryant said.

Bryant added that he went through not only some bad stretches, especially on Sunday, he had some good stretches during the two-day tournament.

“I missed some putts coming in for birdie, but I did enough to win. I all worked out,” Bryant said.

When asked if he was surprised that Farmer struggled on Sunday, Bryant replied, “He shot even par. He had some bad holes. I had some bad holes. It wasn’t typical Jordan. But that’s golf. You never know what to expect. He’s a good player. I’m a good player.

“We have a lot of good players at Beau Pré. The competition’s good. It speaks for golf in Natchez, for golf at Beau Pré, and the individuals, too.”

Efforts to reach Farmer for comments over the phone last Monday morning were unsuccessful.

Farmer wasn’t the only club member who struggled in the final round on Sunday. Lee Jones, who shot 3-under-par 69 on Saturday and was just three shots behind Farmer, couldn’t get many of his shots to land in the fairways and on the greens and that led a round of 10-over-par 82 for a two-day score of 151. Jones ended up next to last in the championship flight.

Third place in the championship flight went to Chase Kaiser, who had rounds of 71 and 70 for a two-day score of 141.

Casey Ham, who won this tournament two years ago and was overtaken by Farmer last year, was not able to contend this year thanks to a first-round score of 75, which put him in the first flight. Ham wound up winning the first flight thanks to a final-round 71 for a two-day total of 146.

Tripp Bryant was second in the first flight thanks to back-to-back rounds of 75 to finish at 150. Greg Brooking led the first flight after an opening-round score of 2-over-par 74, but he had to withdraw from the tournament.