MADISON — Afternoon thunderstorms forced the cancellation of the Viking Classic Junior Pro-Am Tuesday but at least Vicksburg’s Nick Mekus did not go home empty-handed.

Mekus won a new wedge in a drawing for the junior players at Annandale Golf Club, site of the PGA Tour’s Viking Classic, which begins Thursday morning.

Mekus said he won’t waste any time trying out the new club.

“I’m going to use it (today) in Tupelo,” Mekus said. “It’s an awesome-looking club.”

Mekus and Warren Central junior golfer Parker Rutherford left Annandale for Tupelo, where they begin play today in the next Mississippi Junior Golf Association event — The Pros of Tommorrow Tournament.

“It’s a really good tournament and a lot of college coaches will be there,” Rutherford said of the tournament. Rutherford did not have enough MJGA points to play in the Viking Junior Pro-Am, but took Chris Ingram’s place as Mekus’ caddy.

Mekus’ group was slated to play late Tuesday afternoon with professional player Mark Brooks, the winner of the 1996 PGA Tournament. Play got under way at 2 p.m., but thunderstorms rolled through Annandale by 4:30 and caused a delay. After 90 minutes, Viking Classic officials called off the Junior Pro-Am.

Mekus was disappointed.

Instead, Mekus will get a chance to try out his new wedge at Tupelo. It will be a key tournament for both Mekus and Rutherford.

“Right now, Nick is third in the points standings and I’m fourth,” Rutherford said. “If either of us were to win it, we’d move up to the top spot. Nick Cobb of Madison is the current leader. He’s played in every tournament and has played really well.”

Mekus has had a solid summer after winning medalist honors at the Class 1A State Tournament in Natchez in early May. The St. Aloysius junior has had three top five finishes in MJGA Tournaments, including a fourth two weeks ago in Cleveland.

Rutherford won the Cleveland tournament last week.

“I played four tournaments early in the summer and played bad in all four of them,” Rutherford said. “Then I go to Cleveland and play great and win it. My game came back.”