Before they watch the contestants walk on stage at the Miss Mississippi pageant, pageantgoers will have an opportunity to walk down the fairway to support them.

The first Miss Mississippi Golf Tournament will be held Friday morning at Vicksburg Country Club. The tournament benefits the pageant’s scholarship fund, and will include a lunch with this year’s contestants as well as reigning Miss America Savvy Shields.

“All the money goes to the scholarship fund for the girls. People don’t realize it’s not just the top five that get scholarships. All the girls in the pageant get something,” tournament chairman Billy Duckworth said. “I hope to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 with it being the first year. As it grows, I hope we can get that up to $10,000 or $20,000.”

The pageant will be interwoven into the golf tournament, which has a four-person scramble format.

The reigning Miss Mississippi, Laura Lee Lewis, will be stationed on the 10th green to offer each team an extra putt.

“All four golfers can decide if they want her to putt. It’s like a mulligan,” Duckworth said.

The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. Friday at Vicksburg Country Club. The registration fee is $400 per four-person team, or $100 per person. Duckworth said single golfers are welcome, and registration will be open up until the start of the tournament.

Twelve teams have registered so far, and Duckworth is hoping for a full field of 18.

“We are still looking for teams. If they don’t have enough people for a team, we’ll take walk-up golfers and place them on a team,” Duckworth said. “If they come up at 10 minutes till 8, we’ll take them. Heck, if they come up right at 8 o’clock we’ll take them.”

In addition to the tournament itself, there are prizes for closest to the hole, longest drives and hole-in-ones ranging from trips to $10,000 off the price of a new car from Herrin-Gear in Jackson. Door prizes will also be awarded.

For information on the tournament, or to register, email Billy Duckworth at MissMissGolf@gmail.com.