~ Fowler and Myers will again be defending champions when the 29th edition of the women's scramble begins Wednesday.

There has certainly been no shortage of excitement in the past three Lassies Classic golf tournaments.

After the 2004 and 2005 tournaments went to extra holes to determine the champions, last year's event was decided by one stroke after a big-time rally.

Marion Miles Edwards, one of the original creators of the event, doesn't expect anything different when the 29th annual two-woman scramble begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

The tournament, sponsored by the club's Women's Golf Association, concludes Thursday.

"We expect the same thing again, for the tournament to be very close," Edwards said. "We have very good golfers in the tournament every year."

A full field of 96 teams will tee off for the event, which this year has drawn golfers from Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin, along with Missouri.

"We limit it to 96 teams. More than that and it's just too many," Edwards said. "We've never had any trouble filling it, and we always keep a waiting list."

Edwards considers the defending champions the favorites, although based on how tight things have been recently, they are certainly not locks to repeat.

Diane Fowler and Harriette Myers won their seventh title last year, rallying from a five-stroke deficit over the final nine holes to edge Vickie Long and Janice Hoffman.

Fowler and Myers -- both from New Madrid, although Myers plays out of Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau -- finished at 15-under-par 127 for 36 holes. Long and Hoffman wound up one stroke behind.

Fowler and Myers lost out in a playoff in 2005 -- falling to Leslie Steele and Robyn Young of the host club -- after they captured the 2004 crown in a playoff.

"The returning champions, they would be considered the favorites, but the competition should be very good and any of a number of teams could win it," Edwards said.

Past champions entered, in addition to the teams of Fowler-Myers and Steele-Young, are the squads of Long-Hoffman and Martha Hamilton-Barb Johnson.

Past champions Betty Belote and Judy Brey are returning with different partners.

Edwards said the course is in fine shape for the event and, even though the weather is expected to be hot, that won't deter the nearly 200 golfers in the field.

"It's always hot, but the ladies don't seem to mind. Everybody has a great time," Edwards said. "People call it the outstanding women's golf tournament in Southeast Missouri. I think it is."