NATCHEZ — Despite the nasty weather that stormed through earlier in the day, the Natchez Chamber of Commerce Charity Scramble was a success Thursday.

The 16th annual tournament at Beau Pré Country Club got started 45 minutes late but without any problems as course manager Tom Bryant correctly predicted the course of the weather.

The only change, said Chamber President Debbie Hudson, was that registration was done inside instead of outside as usual.

“The course isn’t that wet, and everyone looks like they’re having a great time,” Hudson said approximately an hour before the tournament was expected to end. “It all turned out great.”

Hudson said a couple of people had canceled at the last minute, but that’s something that happens every year.

And the approximately 70 people who did show up for the scramble were there for a good cause.

“The proceeds (from the tournament) go to help the chamber do all it’s activities for the year,” Hudson said. “Some also goes to Leadership Natchez to raise money for all the projects they do.”

Hudson said she expected about $5,000 in proceeds from this year’s tournament through signup fees and sponsorships.

That figure is down slightly from recent years, and she said some of the deficit could be blamed on the economy.

“It’s still good,” she said. “We like everything we can get.”