NATCHEZ — After several days of below-normal temperatures, the 90-plus degree heat returned just in time for the first round of the 2009 Bill McKinney Memorial City Golf Championship.

And just as hot as the weather was the round put in Saturday by 11-time champion Pete Powell, who blazed the course by shooting a 6-under-par 65 to take sole possession of first place in the championship flight by a good three shots over Kevin Smith Jr.

Powell had birdies on both par-5 holes on the back nine, Nos. 10 and 14, as well as birdies on 1, 3, 7, 8 and 12. The only blemish during his spectacular opening round was a bogey on the par-4 16th hole.

Smith Jr., who had the first-round lead last year with a 67, got off to a tough start after a bogey on No. 2. However, he recovered nicely to shoot a 3-under 68. He had birdies on 5, 11, 14 and 17.

“I hit the ball good and stayed patient. I made the turn at even, and then I made some putts,” Smith said. “The course played great. The greens are in great shape. Hat’s off to (Duncan Park golf course superintendent) Greg Brooking.”

Smith added that he would have to shoot either a 67 or a 68 to have a chance to win his second city championship, but he also said that if Powell plays today like he did on Saturday, no one will catch him.

Defending champion Jordan Farmer overcame a double bogey on the par-4 4th hole to finish at 2-under-par 69 and is four shots back of Powell. Farmer birdied No. 2 and then birdied 5, 10 and 14 – all par-5 holes.

Kenny Weeks, the grandson of the late Bill McKinney, is tied for third place with Farmer after he shot a 2-under 69. Weeks had was at 3-under after a birdie on No. 12, but he bogeyed No. 15 and parred the final three holes to finish his round. Weeks said this is the first time he has played in the city championship since he was 16 years old.

“I played well. I played with Jay Lessley, which is nice. I’ve played with him since we were in high school,” Weeks said. “We both threw away three or four shots. It wasn’t like we could’ve shot much better. I’m satisfied. Overall, it was nice.”

Powell wasn’t the only person who had an incredible round on Saturday. Seventy-seven-year-old Clayton Foster put himself in contention by shooting a 1-under-par 70. That’s seven shots below his age.

Foster started his round with birdies on No. 1 and No. 3, only to be followed by bogeys on No. 5 and No. 7. He got back to 2-under for the round thanks to birdies on No. 10 and No. 12, only to bogey No. 15 to drop to 1-under. His up-and-down round continued with a birdie on No. 16 and a bogey on No. 18.

Lessley, who also shot a 70, is tied with Foster for fifth place. Lessley had four birdies and three bogeys.

Wesley Rogers is one of six golfers tied for seventh place at even-par 71. He had two birdies and two bogeys.

“It was the most I got out of it. I was a 1-over for a while, then I got it to 1-under,” Rogers said. “Bogeyed the last hole to shoot even. The greens on the front are rolling real well. The greens on the back nine are slower.”

Brooking had three bogeys and three birdies during his round to finish at 71.

“I had a good round. I played as good as I could play,” Brooking said. “As far as administrating this tournament is concerned, Gayle Guido’s done a good job.”

Casey Ham and Jason Rooks each had unique ways to shoot their rounds of 71 Saturday.

Ham, who finished second to Farmer last year, was at 4-over-par after bogeying No. 2, No. 3, No. 8 and No. 12 and was in danger of ending up in the first flight. However, he recovered with birdies on 14, 16, 17 and 18.

Rooks, on the other hand, birdied three of the first four holes and then birdied No. 10 to go to 4-under-par and looked like he was going to be a serious contender. Then he bogeyed 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17 to drop back to 1-over-par. Fortunately for Rooks, he birdied the 18th hole to finish at even-par.