Defending champion Pete Powell had a bogey-free round of 66 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead in the Championship Flight of the 30th Annual Bill McKenney Memorial City Golf Championship at Duncan Park.

&uot;I hit it pretty good today,&uot; Powell said. &uot;I just bore down and grinded it out.&uot;

Jay Lessley went four-under-par on the front nine and finished with a score of 69 and is in second place.

Jamie Spring is in third place after shooting a 70.

&uot;I hit a lot of greens, but missed a lot of putts,&uot; Spring said.

Larry Davis and Stephen Hollingsworth are tied for fifth after each fired an even-par 71.

&uot;I had five bogeys and five birdies. I bogeyed three really easy holes,&uot; Larry Davis said. &uot;I chipped in at 11 for birdie and at 17 for par. I hope I hit as good tomorrow as a I did today, just make more putts and don’t bogey the easy holes.&uot;

A mid-afternoon thunderstorm caused a one-hour weather delay but all players were able to complete their rounds.

Michael Mardis finished with a round of 72, but said he could have played better.

&uot;I hit a lot of fairways, but did not strike the ball well,&uot; he said. &uot;I made a lot of putts. The course was playing easy today. I hope to do better tomorrow. A had a double bogey on 16 to go to one over. We got in about five minutes before the rain came in.&uot;

Former Natchez Junior Golf Champion Dusty Hutto got off to a bad start but finished with a round of 74.

&uot;I started off at 5-over after the first five holes. I had a bogey on No. 2, a triple bogey on four and a bogey on five,&uot; Hutto said. &uot;And then I played steady on the back nine and made a couple of birdies on the holes where you’re supposed to make birdies.&uot;

Bill Byrne also had a 74.

&uot;I played pretty solid except for the triple bogey on the par-5 fifth,&uot; he said. &uot;I just tried to stay patient and make birdies. I was at 3-under on the back nine until I made a couple of bogeys.&uot;

Despite shooting a 79, Carl Rogel said he didn’t play real well.

&uot;I started off with a double bogey,&uot; he said. &uot;I guess I played alright..&uot;

Greg Brooking, who won the tournament in 1996 and 1998, shot a first-round 80 in his first tournament since April due to a broken wrist.

&uot;I had no birdies,&uot; Brooking said. &uot;When you play as poorly as I did, the course is very tough.&uot;

Harry Davis fired a first-round 83, which he considered a good score.

&uot;It was a good round because I haven’t played in three weeks,&uot; Harry Davis said. &uot;The course is set up beautifully. If it wasn’t for my putting, I would’ve shot a 90 or 100. I putted real good today.&uot;

One player who said he did not play well was Tom Geoghegan, who shot an 86.

&uot;It was real bad. Mustard fell off my hot dog,&uot; Geoghegan said.

Cookie Wilson shot an 87 on Saturday despite three triple bogeys on the front nine.

&uot;I was terrible for me,&uot; Wilson said. &uot;I struggled all day. I had a triple-triple to start and had a triple on nine. Except for those three holes, I played okay.&uot;

Final-round action begins at noon today.