DEMOPOLIS &8212; Despite wet conditions, wind and a brief hailstorm throughout the day yesterday, golfers turned out in mass at the Demopolis County Club to support charity and fight for the Demopolis City golf title.

The open golf tournament was presented by the Demopolis Rotary Club as a way to raise money for charity and provide local golfers a chance to stack their skills against other golfers, both from the area and from outside. At the end of the 27-hole tournament, one golfer went away with the Demopolis City title and with the medalist title for the best first 18 holes of play.

Fuqua not only won the top two highly touted titles for the tournament, but he did so in a resounding fashion. Fuqua hit 108 on the 27-hole day, making par despite the uncooperative weather that left golf ball sized hail on the course at one point and beating out his closest competitor by two strokes.

Fuqua said a large part of his success could be attributed to the outstanding upkeep of the course. Specifically, he pointed out the well-manicured greens as a large factor of his success against the rest of the field.

Though 86 golfers played on the day, the field of golfers looking to take the title grabbed by Fuqua consisted of 45. The other 41 golfers in attendance opted for the match play side of the tournament that consisted of five different flights in which to compete. Event organizer Jay Reynolds speculated that of the 86 man field 25 to 30 were from out of town.

Reynolds said the championship group of the tournament was scored along the lines as tournaments in the PGA, while the match play set up brackets in which each golfer competed against one other golfer for nine holes and the winner moved to the next round. He said the charity event tournament picked up the Demopolis City title some years back to help the championship play.

Reynolds said the entry fee of $75 for each participant provide golfers with 27 holes of golf, a $12 sleeve of balls, a Titlist hat, shirt and a rib-eye steak for lunch. A large portion of this was donated to the event so the remaining proceeds could benefit charity.

Reynolds said a large portion of these funds go the Easter Seals Camp ASCCA in Jackson&8217;s Gap, located in north Alabama. The facility serves campers who have disabilities ranging from spinal bifida, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia and quadriplegia to downs syndrome, autism, mild, moderate and profound mental disabilities, and it hosts over 10,000 visitors each year.

In Camp ASCCA&8217;s 30-year history, services have been provided to more than 50,000 people with disabilities. During this time, thousands of individuals, clubs, companies and organizations have made the camps unique services available, such as the Demopolis Rotary Club.

Reynolds said that the tournament is meant to provide a good time for members of the community, but that its larger goal is to further the aims of the Rotary Club, which is to provide community service.