NATCHEZ — Youth golfers from across Mississippi and Louisiana took their best swings Monday in round one of the Gulf States Junior PGA Championship at Beau Pré Country Club.

A lot is on the line with a berth in the National PGA Championship for one boy and one girl available.

“We have 28 players here,” said tournament director and director of player development and communications for the Gulf States section of PGA Patrick Murphy.

“We’ve got a lot more kids from Mississippi than we usually do. We haven’t been back to Beau Pré in a while. It is a fantastic facility and we are glad to be in Mississippi. We’d love to have a ton more kids, but we are up this year compared to last year, so we are liking the growth that we see.”

There was only one Miss-Lou player in the tournament, 12-year-old Chase Kaiser, who isn’t eligible to qualify for the national championship, but still brought his ‘A-game’.

“It was an all right day,” said Kaiser, who shot a 4-over par. “I hit it good, I just didn’t putt very well.”

Kaiser, who already has two hole in ones to his name at Beau Pré, said his knowledge of the course played an advantage today.

“I know this course a lot better than others and it certainly helps,” Kaiser said.

Kaiser is the youngest player in the tournament, but he didn’t let that phase him.

“I just try to play my game,” he said.

“I didn’t want to play anyone else’s game except for mine. It is very exciting because you get to compete and especially for me because I’m competing with older people. It certainly pushes me and helps me do what I need to do.”

Kaiser’s best score on the course is a 79, and he is on pace for one over that mark.

He said it would be special to shoot a career best in tournament play.

“It would mean a lot because I would have my best record during a tournament,” he said.

Murphy said one thing golfers would have to deal with in the tournament is green speed, and competitors definitely noticed it once they began play.

“The greens rolled really good,” said Drew Gonzales of Lafayette, La.

“The course played firm and fast and I like it. It’ll be a pretty good test.”

Gonzales was in a group with day one leader Grant Glorioso, who shot four under par, but said he was more focused on his game.

“You try not to think about that during your round,” he said.

“You just have to stay focused on your game. This is 36 holes, so we have a long way to go.”

Gonzales said to earn a spot in the championship tournament would mean the world to him.

“I’ve never gotten into the tournament before and it is really big,” he said.

“It would really mean a lot to me to play against the best.”

The second round of the tournament will take place today with winners announced in the afternoon.