SALTILLO - A short birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff gave Rickey Riley the championship Sunday in the 28th annual Butch Lambert Memorial Invitational.

However, it was a masterful iron shot moments before that won the tournament for the 48-year-old Fulton golfer.

Riley's second shot on the par 5, 495-yard No. 1 hole at the Natchez Trace Golf Club - a 204-yard rip with a 5-iron - just missed the hole for a double eagle. He then came up short on an 8-foot putt for eagle, but sank his short birdie attempt to edge Pontotoc's Scotty Patterson, who missed on his birdie try.

"I normally hit a 4-iron, but the course was playing shorter and the ground was hard, so I choked a 5-iron instead," Riley said of his clutch approach shot. "I hit it pretty well. I thought it might go in."

Patterson's tee shot in the playoff hit a tree. He still recovered to give himself a birdie attempt.

"I pushed it (the putt) right off the bat," he said of his miss. "I just didn't get up and down."

The Butch Lambert victory was Riley's first. He finished second last year to Natchez Trace professional Lan Gooch and was second to Gooch three years ago.

"To win this tournament is big," Riley said, then smiled. "This is a hard course and there are a lot of good players out here.

"I was proud of Scotty. I just got lucky on him."

Riley forced the playoff with a tough, but short, downhill putt on No. 18, moments after Patterson had recorded a par with a 6-foot putt.

Both players finished 36 holes of regulation play with 1-under-par 143 scores. Both shot 3-under 69s Saturday and had 2-over 74s Sunday.

Baldwyn's Nick Armstrong, who entered the day tied with Riley and Patterson, finished with a score of 69-75 - 144. Tupelo's Mark Enis, a three-time Butch Lambert champion, and Jackson's Eddie Brescher III, were tied for fourth with 145.

Riley and Patterson both lost one-shot leads on the back nine with double bogeys.

"The pressure about got to me," Riley said of his double bogey on 16. "I put myself behind the 8-ball."

Fulton's Ken Hogue, age 67, won the Lambert's Super Senior title with a 7-under 137.

gene.phelps@journalinc.com

BUTCH LAMBERT INVITATIONAL

SUNDAY’S FINAL SCORES

At Natchez Trace Golf Club

Par: 72

Note: Seniors and high school golfers do

not qualify for the open championship.

(*–won playoff)

Championship Flight

*Riley, Rickey 69-74 – 143

Patterson, Scotty 69-74 – 143

Armstrong, Nick 69-75 – 144

Enis, Mark 74-71 – 145

Brescher III, Eddie 73-72 – 145

Collins, Bill 71-76 – 147

Hall, Adam 73-75 – 148

Trapp, Trey 73-76 – 149

Hodges, Vince 73-76 – 149

Moffitt, Michael 73-78 – 151

Lindsey, Reed 74-78 – 152

Warren, Greg 73-79 – 152

Milam, Scott 73-84 – 157

Suggs, Victor 74-86 – 160

First Flight

Hodges, Michael 77-70 – 147

Belk, Trae 76-72 – 148

Benjamin, Michael 76-73 – 149

Parks, Bobby 78-72 – 150

Reeder, Wilson 76-77 – 153

Mills, Chris 78-76 – 154

King, Geoffrey 78-76 – 154

Nicholas, Trevor 76-78 – 154

Maxey, Scott 76-78 – 154

Rutledge, Mark 77-78 – 155

Carter, Michael 76-82 – 158

Parsons, Tyler 76-82 – 158

Belk, Matt 78-83 – 161

Second Flight

Donald, Bill 79-74 – 153

Russell, Jerry 79-75 – 154

Richardson, Drew 80-75 – 155

Farris, Eric 79-77 – 156

Collins, Joe 79-78 – 157

Ellis, Trey 80-79 – 159

Dilworth, Jack 79-80 – 159

Kemp, Kippy 80-81 – 161

Fairley, Buddy 81-81 – 162

Wood, Scott 81-82 – 163

Adams, Bart 81-83 – 164

Jenkins, David 81-84 – 165

McCullough, Jim 79-89 – 168

Third Flight

Collie, Michael 82-76 – 158

May, Corbin 82-77 – 159

Pritchard, Trey 83-77 – 160

Youree, Ben 83-78 – 161

Stout, Danny 83-78 – 161

Lee, David 84-78 – 162

Adams, Thomas 83-81 – 164

Godwin, Butch 83-82 – 165

Warren, Jeff 83-83 – 166

Adams, Tom 82-85 – 167

Conlee, Clint 84-85 – 169

Jones, Mike 84-85 – 169

Gillespie, Nic 82-87 – 169

Fourth Flight

Ellis, Jason 87-77 – 164

Finan, Daniel 87-78 – 165

Jenkins, Tucker 85-80 – 165

Nanney, Michael 85-80 – 165

Hayes, Ken 86-80 – 166

Wilson, Jordan 86-80 – 166

Walker, William 85-81 – 166

Moran, Andy 87-80 – 167

Johnson, Adam 87-82 – 169

Rainey, Nick 85-84 – 169

McCrory, Michael 87-83 – 170

Todd, Jason 87-84 – 171

Conlee, Keith 87-88 – 175

Lanphere, Rusty 87-89 – 176

Fifth Flight

Decker, Johnathan 88-78 – 166

McCullough, Paden 88-85 – 173

Lee, Louis 88-86 – 174

Gooch, Jake 95-80 – 175

Herod, Chad 92-83 – 175

Bankston, Ryne 90-87 – 177

Joslin, Derrick 92-88 – 180

May, Mark 92-89 – 181

Reed, Bo 89-92 – 181

Lindsey, Trey 94-92 – 186

Taylor, Norwood 96-91 – 187

Devaughn, Scott 93-97 – 190

Culpepper, Ty 90-101 – 191

Bain, Bo 100-93 – 193

Super Senior

Hogue, Ken 67-70 – 137

Mealer, Jim 75-78 – 153

Hooker, Danny 84-75 – 159

Sloan, Booty 80-84 – 164

Campbell, Benny 82-85 – 167

Edwards, Butch 86-84 – 170

Reeves, Haywood 86-91 – 177

Gleason, Don 101-102 – 203

Seniors

Roberts, Philip 76-78 – 154

Hatfield, Mark 82-81 – 163

Farris, Scotty 81-88 – 169

Blaylock, Keith 86-87 – 173

Johnson, Danny 86-89 – 175

Gregory, Scott 93-94 – 187

High School

Dixon, Jacob 80-85 – 165

Walker, Brandon 86-85 – 171

Reeder, Kirk 83-89 – 172

Fandel, Drew 84-90 – 174

Russell, Denver 84-90 – 174