Isle Pro-Am crown

By

PATRICK JONES

NATCHEZ &045; Curley Romero, a PGA professional from New Iberia, La., teamed up with amateurs John Talley, Larry Gaudin and Cal Guirard for the low team score of 120 to win the 2003 Isle of Capri Pro-Am Tuesday at Beau Pr.

Jeff Jennings of Hattiesburg had the lowest score among the pros with 6-under-par 66, which he shot in the morning.

&uot;I missed one green and got it close to the hole,&uot; Jennings said. &uot;I had four birdies and an eagle on 18. It was a good solid round of golf. The greens were real good this morning.&uot;

Derek Sanders of New Orleans was second with a round of 5-under 67.

&uot;I left New Orleans at 11 a.m. and got here at 1:30 p.m.,&uot; Sanders said. &uot;I hit 17 of 18 greens. Actually, I hit a lot of shots inside 10 feet. I putted OK.&uot;

Kevin Walls of Pontotoc finished third with a round of 4-under 68.

&uot;I hit it as well as I could have the first 12 holes,&uot; Walls said. &uot;I birdied six of the first 11 holes. I missed a couple of opportunities, but I played well.&uot;

Boyd Kernan of Gonzales, La., was the low amateur with a solid round of 4-under 68.

&uot;I hit it pretty good,&uot; Kernan said. &uot;I made six birdies and two bogeys. It could’ve been a lot better. I kept it in play. That was probably the key.&uot;

Kernan said he played in this tournament a couple of times before when it was held at Belwood, but back then there was no low amateur at that time. That, he noted, gave him extra incentive and motivation.

Jerry Lambuth and Kenley Jones tied for second with a 70.

PGA pro Les O’Neil of Baton Rouge and amateurs W. T. Taylor, David Gafford and Randy Broussard finished second with a team score of 121.

O’Neil shot a 3-under-par 69, good enough for a tie for fourth in the low professional category with Fletcher White of Pine Bluff, Ark., who shot his 69 in the morning, and Rob McGraw of Meridian