DEMOPOLIS &8212; An early afternoon downpour dampened the course and briefly delayed play, but was not enough to deter the 157 golfers that gathered at the Demopolis Country Club Friday to participate in the fourth annual Rock-Tenn Charity Golf Tournament.

The 157 players who made up the 39 teams represent a spike in participation from previous years.

The increased participation also produced an estimated $18,000 for Relay for Life, an approximate $6,000 increase over last year&8217;s haul.

The tournament appeared threatened when a system dropped approximately a half-inch of rain on the course over a 15-minute span during the 1 p.m. hour, temporarily suspending play.

Organizers moved the tee time to 11:30 a.m. in an effort to avoid most of the storm systems that were forecasted to move through during the last afternoon hours.

In addition to drawing a considerable number of players, the tournament was successful in attracting sponsors. The event boasted an estimated 40 hole sponsors.