Lessley wins 5th McKenney Memorial city golf title

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, August 6, 2019

NATCHEZ — While most players in the championship flight of the 2019 Bill McKenney Memorial City Championship Golf Tournament shot themselves out of contention, Jay Lessley did just enough to hold off those tried to overtake him.

Lessley, the first-round leader after a strong round of 5-under-par 66 on Saturday, shot an even-par 71 on Sunday afternoon at the Duncan Park Golf Course for a two-day score of 137 and a one-shot win over Wesley Rogers for his fifth city championship.

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That put Lessley in a third-place tie with Jordan Farmer for third most men’s city golf championships all time. Only Pete Powell (11) and Duncan Park golf course superintendent Greg Brooking (6) have won more.

Rogers entered the day four shots behind Lessley after an opening-round 1-under-par 70. And even with a round of 3-under-par 68 in his final round, Rogers ended up in second place with a two-day score of 138.

Defending champion Casey Ham wound up in third place with rounds of 2-under-par 69 on Saturday and 1-under-par 70 on Sunday for a two-day total of 139.

City champion for 2017 Tom Bryant ended up in fourth place after a final-round 72 to finish at 140. Bryant ended up at that spot after defeating Jordan Farmer in a scorecard playoff. Farmer, who entered the day one shot behind Lessley with a round of 4-under-par 67, struggled on Sunday and had a round of 2-over-par 73 to finish at 140.

Lessley, Rogers, and Ham were three of only six golfers to shoot par-71 or better on Sunday — nearly half as many as there were on Saturday.

Chase Kaiser had the round of the day on Sunday at 4-under-par 67 as he broke away from the pack to take first place in the first flight with a two-day score of 141. Mike Carroll had a final-round 71 for a two-day score of 146 and took second place in a scorecard playoff over Kevin Smith Jr., whose final-round 72 put him a 146 and third place.

Gary Farmer finished fourth in the first flight after his final-round 78 gave him a two-day total of 152.

Peter Powell Jr. had a 15-shot improvement from Saturday to Sunday and that was good enough to defeat George Cupit for first place in the second flight. Powell Jr. shot 1-under-par 70 on Sunday after an opening-round 85 to finish at 155. Cupit wasn’t that far behind as he shot 1-over-par 72 for his two-day score of 155 to come in second.

Matthew Hall fired a final-round 72 for a two-day total of 160 as he held off Jesse Whitehead to win the second flight. Whitehead was the day-one leader in this flight, but he shot a 75 on Sunday to finish at 161. Shane Martin came in third with a two-day total of 167.

Cole Mosby won the fourth flight after a final-round 81 for a two-day score of 174. Stewart Thomas Jr. and Landon Davis started and ended the day two shots behind Mosby as each of them also had rounds of 81 to finish at 176. Thomas Jr. won a scorecard playoff over Davis to come in second place while Davis had to settle for third place. Jace Calcote just missed out on the scorecard playoff with a round of 82, but he finished fourth by himself with a two-day total of 177.