NEW ORLEANS – For the third straight year, Brett Bergeron and Tommy Brennan finished the metro amateur championship in the top two positions, this year, ahead of 59 competing golfers.

Bergeron was the defending champion at The Mackel at The Golf Club of New Orleans at Eastover last weekend, having beaten Brennan and 156 other golfers last year. However, he finished 13 strokes behind Brennan, who shot a 54-hole total of 210 strokes this year. Brennan shot a 69 in the first and second rounds, then a 72 in the third. Bergeron hit a 72, 74, and 77.

Bergeron fell short of the tournament win in 2000 by only one stroke to Brennan, then swung past him and three other golfers in the last round for the title last year. Brennan, who claimed his fifth title (1993, ’96, ’98, 2000 and ’02) in the tournament’s 10-year history, led by eight strokes at the beginning of the third round Sunday, with Bergeron and Cliff Canton tied for second at 146.

Bergeron gained two strokes through the first four holes, but shooting a bogey and three pars, while Brennan started the round with three bogeys.

However, Brennan birdied the fifth and sixth holes to regain his eight-stroke lead.

Bergeron’s tee shot from the eighth hole landed in the water and he was forced to three-put for a triple bogey, allowing Brennan to open an 11-stroke lead.

The players battled unusually cool temperatures and constant 20 mph winds throughout the weekend, broken with periods of light rain.

Brennan finished the back nine 1-under par at 35. His New Orleans Country Club team also won the team competition with a total low score of 678.