PENN TWP — They were never doubles partners before and they came from different high school backgrounds, but Matt Slamecka and Annie Tigano had two things in common.

Tennis and Whitney Snyder.

That was enough to carry them to the championship of the 20th annual Butler Country Club Pro-Am tennis event Sunday at the BCC courts.

Slamecka and Tigano were one of eight doubles teams participating in the event. Ages of the competitors ranged from Knoch High School player Kenzie Gumto to 77-year-old Thom Roberts, a club player for Edgeworth.

“We have a wide assortment of people here, from (BCC) club members to assistant pros, college and high school players,” tournament director Snyder said. “With the U.S. Open going on, everyone is in tennis mode. No one knows who their partner is going to be until I announce it on the courts, just before we start playing.

“I like this event to have the feel of a laid-back pick-up game.”

That mission was accomplished, yet once matches began, serious serves, returns and pinpoint shots were demonstrated often.

“It’s a fun gathering and get-together ... but you always want to win,” Slamecka said.

Slamecka was a member of Butler’s PIAA championship boys tennis team in 2010. He is an assistant tennis pro at the Pittsburgh Golf Club now.

Tigano graduated from Shady Side Academy in 2001, where she played soccer, basketball and lacrosse. She grew up in Snyder’s junior tennis program at BCC and played in the West Penn Inter-Club junior doubles tourney a few times.

“Tennis became my summertime fun sport — Snyde made it fun,” said Tigano, who grew up in South Butler. “Now it’s my lifetime sport. And my kids (ages 6 and 8) are in the junior program here for the first time.

“Matt and I had never played tennis together before.”

It didn’t matter. They won six of their seven matches — each match carrying a 15-minute limit — in winning the Pro-Am.

“She plays tennis,” Slamecka said of Tigano. “We both know how to play doubles. It’s about being in the proper position. We worked well together that way.”

Former WPIAL doubles champion Will Kleeman and Pine-Richland High School player Cal Greenblatt finished 5-2 for the day, as did defending champion Lizzie Swift and current BCC assistant pro Braiden Smalley. Swift founded and plays tennis for Aquinas Academy’s girls team.

“The way we teach doubles here, play at the net produces points much more than shots from backcourt,” Snyder said. “The players out here know that. All of these teams did well together.

“Nobody won every match, nobody lost every match. There was competition. There was good sportsmanship, too, because everyone knows that’s first and foremost in this program.”

Jody Offstein, a 1992 Butler grraduate who, like Slamecka, is a former No. 1 singles player for the Golden Tornado boys tennis team, teamed with Roberts. They won three out of four matches.

“I’ve been a tennis member here for seven years and have played in this event every year during that time,” Offstein said. “It promotes tennis and it brings people together.”

Roberts plays with a brace on his right knee, which has had no cartilage since 1966.

“I had surgery on it then and they just cleared all of the cartilage out of there,” Roberts said. “I still love to play, I just can’t move anymore. If a shot is hit hard right at me, fine, no problem,. If I have to move for it, I’m in trouble.

“I’ve known Whit since he was 14. He’s been doing great things for tennis for a long, long time. This (pro-am) is just one of them.”

BCC PRO-AM RESULTS

1st place: Matt Slamecka-Annie Tigano (6-1)

2nd place: Lizzie Swift-Braiden Smalley (5-2)

3rd place: Will Kleeman-Cal Greenblatt (5-2)

4th place: Jody Offstein-Thpm Roberts (3-4)

5th place: Katherine Brussalis-Ken Boben (3-4)

6th place (tie): Matt Paat-Ralph Kuhn (2-5)

6th place (tie): John Ivory-Dennis Smalley (2-5)

6th place (tie): Kenzie Gumto-Trevor Heck (3-5)