New Orleans, La.-Virginia's Lanny Wadkins ignored four days of steady rain to outdistance a top quality field in winning the 1970 Southern Golf Association championship over the Lakewood Country Club course in New Orleans.

It was the second Southern championship for the Wake Forest ace as he tore up the Lakewood course with rounds of 67-70-71-71 for a nine-under par 279 total.

Lanny, who was to win the 1970 National Amateur after the Southern, whipped second-place Tom Kite, Jr., of Austin, Texas by eight shots on a course that played extremely long and tough due to the constant rains which almost washed out the last round.

The Richmond, Va. flash was consistently hitting his iron shots dead to the pins and seldom was off the fairways, which were narrow with heavy rough giving most players fits.

John Mahaffey, Kerrville, Texas, and Eddie Pearce, Temple Terrace, Fla., tied for third at 290 behind Kite's 287.

In the final round Wadkins hit 16 of 18 greens and had three birdies and two bogeys. He had previously won the 1968 Southern at North Palm Beach, Fla. with a 285 total over the Lost Tree course.

Jimmy Wittenberg, Jr., of Memphis, Tenn., and Bill Rogers, Texarkana, Texas, tied for fifth place with 291 totals.

Kite and Mahaffey led Texas to the Bob Jones Four-Ball Championship with Howard Harpster and Kurt Cox teaming with the two leaders.

Wadkins' 67-70 opening rounds were good for medalist honors.

Mike Kallam, Winston-Salem, N. C., won the first division with a 296 total with Jackie Cummings, Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Bill Dagle second at 300.

Jerry Greenbaum, Atlanta, Ga., won the second division with a 305 total with Bobby Wadkins, Lanny's younger brother, and John Stoltz, Miami, Fla., in second at 306.

The 64th annual SGA championship again drew a record entry with the field being filled a full month before the tournament began.