By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Sept. 4, 2001
Rex Gentry and Colton Tisdale shot a four-under par 68 Monday to win the Harry Lackey Labor Day Four-Ball Tournament at Briarwood Country Club by four strokes over three teams.
Gentry and Tisdale picked up three birdies over the first six holes of the final round to extend their one-stroke lead to five over the team of George Polizzi and Billy McInnis, who began Monday's play in sole possession of second place.
Gentry and Tisdale got birdies on Nos. 2, 4, and 6 on the front side and added another at No. 12 on the back to build an insurmountable lead. They did not have a bogey in the 36-hole tournament, while making 12 birdies in shooting a 12-under par 132.
Monday's round was played using the lift, clean, and place rule following heavy rain on Sunday and more rain early Monday. The championship flight played from the blue tees, while all others played from the white.
The teams of Polizzi-McInnis, Jack Combest-Willie Frazier, and Benjy Baskin-Stan Fisher each finished at 136.
Combest and Frazier shot a 68 each day and took second place on a scorecard playoff. They had birdies on Nos. 7, 10, 12, 13, and 15 Monday with a lone bogey on No. 17.
Third went to Baskin and Fisher, who fired a final round 69. They had birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 10, and 18 with a bogey on No. 7.
Polizzi and McInnis took fourth after shooting a 71 in the final round. They had birdies at Nos. 4, 8, 12, and 16 with bogeys at Nos. 2, 3, and 6.
In a four-way tie for fifth place at 137 were the teams of Jason Walker-Dan Kerr, Mike Culpepper-Ray Ethridge, Joel Nelson-Chris Clark, and Benji Carpenter-Jeremy Shelton.
Joey Mabry and Tony Polizzi had a 138 for ninth place with Bobby Espey and Gene Hogan turning in a 139 for 10th. Completing the championship flight was the team of David Rosenbaum Jr.-Johnny Boykin at 141.
In town, golfers in the Labor Day Scramble at Northwood Country Club weren't nearly as fortunate as Monday morning's rain washed out their round for the second consecutive day.
With the final two rounds rained out, Saturday's leaders – Alan Hart and Paul Entrekin – were declared tournament champions.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or call him at 693-1551 ext. 3234.