NATCHEZ — Judge and Reggie Little of Meridian made nine birdies en route to a round of 7-under-par 65 and the first-round lead Friday at the 2007 State Four-Ball/Bill Cass Senior Four-Ball Championships at Beau Pré Country Club.

“Both of us played good. We got off to a good start and were able to maintain it,” Judge Little said. “We both hit it real good. We stayed in play most of the day. We’re pretty pleased with that.”

The only two miscues that kept the Littles from having an even better round were bogeys on No. 14 and No. 2 (They started their round in the morning on No. 10). Both players three-putted those two holes.

The Littles birdied all four of the par-5 holes, with Judge Little sinking three himself.

Four teams are two shots back with rounds of 5-under-par 67 — Shane Humphries and David Sinclair, Stan Hall and Jud Grace, Monty Hilton and Dike Simmons, and Drew Dulaney and Sonny Williams.

Two other teams are just three shots back at 4-under-par 68 — Robert Pannell and Alan Ellis, as well as Todd Larsen and Sean Casey.

Joe Lindigrin of Madison and John Fountain of Clinton took the first-round lead in the Senior Division (50 to 59 years old) with a solid round of 66.

“John hit three of the par-5s in two,” Lindigrin said. “We both played well. John only missed two holes. We brother-in-lawed real well.”

“It was good teamwork,” said Fountain, who went driver-3-iron to reach the green on the par-5 eighth hole in two. Then he made a 30-foot putt for eagle. Lindigrin and Fountain also had two bogeys and six birdies.

“It was going a little fast, but it went in dead center,” Lindigrin said about Fountain’s eagle putt.

Frank Heard and Bill Lambert of Natchez took the lead in the Super Senior (60-and-over) Division after firing a 5-under-par 67.

“Not bad for a couple of really old guys,” Heard said. “My partner did all the work. He made all the birdie putts. I contributed a little bit. The course is in great shape. We could’ve done a little better, but we’re not complaining.”

Heard and Lambert made six birdies to go with a bogey on No. 3, their third hole of the day.

A total of 74 two-man teams are participating in this year’s State Four Ball/Bill Cass Senior Four-Ball Championships — 37 in the Regular Division, 29 in the Senior Division and eight in the Super Senior Division.