NATCHEZ &8212; The 2006 Natchez Junior Golf Championships featured some familiar faces atop the first round leader board.

Three-time champion in the boys division, Jordan Farmer, put himself in position for an unprecedented fourth junior city championship title with a first-round score of 70.

Farmer&8217;s consistent play from tee-to-green gave him a four-stroke lead over the field and easily makes the Cathedral graduate the odds-on favorite to win the title today. And while 70 is a score most of the golfers in the tournament would have been ecstatic to have shot, according to Farmer it was just an average round.

&8220;I missed a lot of putts,&8221; Farmer said. &8220;It was an average round.

With the way I hit my driver and irons today, I could have easily shot five or six under &8212; I just missed too many putts.&8221;

Farmer&8217;s teammate Matthew Hall has found himself in a familiar position too.

For the third consecutive year Hall has gone into the final round of the city championship trailing Farmer. But Hall doesn&8217;t seem to mind, the fact that he has been there before takes some of the pressure off of him.

&8220;I&8217;m planning on just going out and playing my game,&8221; Hall said. &8220;I don&8217;t have to worry about Jordan or anyone else. I have shot 66 on this course twice before, if I can pull that off again &8212; you never know.&8221;

On the girls&8217; side, Mary Kate Byrne is a lock to win. Byrne was the only entry in the girls 15-18 year old field, but her

first round score of 81, would have placed her in the middle of the pack in the boys division.

Duncan Park head pro Marvin Gray has been pleased with the increase in participation in each of this year&8217;s city championships and pointed out what makes the junior city championship so special.

&8220;These are our golfers of the future. They are deserving events like this to get out and compete,&8221; Gray said. &8220;It&8217;s nice to see this much interest among young people and especially nice to see such a well-behaved group of young people enjoying this tremendous game.&8221;