NATCHEZ — The scores were low and the weather couldn’t have been any better at the 16th annual United Way Scramble Friday afternoon at Beau Pré Country Club.

And the 52 players who participated in the four-man scramble, as well as several local businesses, helped raise money for the United Way of the Miss-Lou.

“This is the first one I’ve done,” said Marsha Colson, executive director of the United Way of the Miss-Lou. “We have a lot of hole sponsorships and good door prizes. We had some extra people sign up this morning. Dozens of local businesses donated door prizes and sponsored holes. Some of them sponsored teams.”

Colson said because this is a fundraiser, as well as the first event of the campaign season, it’s a good way to get people talking about the local United Way chapter.

“We’ve got some extra teams and some extra players. The weather’s great and we hope to raise a lot of money,” said Bradley Harrison, board member and co-chairman of the golf committee.

Colson added that Southwest Distributors, Isle of Capri and Great River Chevrolet were the main sponsors for this year’s United Way Scramble. Great River provided a 2009 Chevrolet Impala LS sedan for a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th hole from a minimum of 165 yards. Unfortunately, there were no aces on that hole.

As for the golf itself, eight of the 13 teams had rounds in the 50s. Two of those teams had rounds of 17-under-par 55, and a scorecard playoff had to determine first and second places.

The Edgin Construction-sponsored team of Richard Edgin III, Jordan Farmer, Forrest Johnson and Christian Krueger ended up in first place thanks to its eagle on the par-5 8th hole — the team’s only eagle of the day to go along with 15 birdies and two pars.

“I did make quite a few putts, thanks to my teammates who helped get it on the fairway,” Krueger said. “It was great. It’s for a good cause.”

Second place went to the Britton & Koontz Bank-sponsored team of Kevin Smith, Woody Allen, Bill Salters and Wes Middleton. They had 17 birdies and one par.

“It was a good, fun team effort. Made a lot of putts,” Allen said. “Kevin was our first putter and he made a lot of putts. Overall, it was a good team effort. It’s always a good tournament. It’s for the right reasons and it was an absolutely beautiful day.”

Two teams tied for third place with rounds of 16-under-par 56 — the Natchez Pediatric Clinic/United Mississippi Bank-sponsored team of Kurt Russ, Monty Mayo, Adrian Stallone and Adrian Sandel as well as the Callon Petroleum Company-sponsored team of Roger Smith, Al Conn, Chuck Fields and Rusty Marks.