PENN TWP— Eight tennis professionals with strong resumes will be participating in the fifth annual Butler Country Club Tennis Pro-Am Sunday.

Each of the pros will join a male and female BCCmember to form a three-person team. Each pro will compete in mixed doubles, then men's doubles with his respective teammates.

The combined results of those two divisions will determine the event's champion.

"This team format isn't done anywhere else in the state,"BCCtennis pro Whitney Snyder said. "Pros are usually paid a fee just to play in a tournament, but these pros are playing in this one free because they're intrigued by the format."

Sunday's event begins at 2:30 p.m. with mixed doubles, followed by men's doubles at 4:30.

Participating pros are Vishal Punna, Jeff Layman, Bill Pilardi, Vikas Punna, Jose Raymundo, Jay Barkley, Kenny Nieser and Koach Conroy.

The Punna brothers are full-time teaching tennis pros at LakeVue Athletic Club in Valencia. Vishal Punna formerly represented India in the Davis Cup and has been world ranked.

"He could be out playing on the pro tour right now if he wanted to. He's that good,"Snyder said.

Vikas Punna is a former champion of this event and was a top-ranked junior player in India.

Layman is the head men's and women's tennis coach at Robert Morris University and is head pro at Hill Crest Country Club and Westmoreland Country Club. He was ranked third in the country while at Clemson University.

Pilardi is the pro at the Peters Township Tennis Center and is ranked among the top 10 in the nation among players age 45 and over.

Raymundo, who played at Notre Dame, teamed with Nate Succop and Judy Barkley to win this tournament last year.

Jay Barkley was the No. 1 junior player at Butler Country Club and played at Westminster College. Nieser is the head tennis pro at Chapel Gate Swim Club in Fox Chapel and is a doubles specialist.

Conroy played at Slippery Rock University and is the only tennis pro in the United States certified as a left-handed and a right-handed pro.

"Koach has no actual base where he teaches,"Snyder said. "He's like a goodwill ambassador for tennis, traveling around and teaching the game at parks and to inner-city kids."

The BCCmen participating in play Sunday are Succop, Evan Kowalski, Stefan Kemp, Jack Barkley, Doug Johnston, Andrew Gillan and Chuck Lenns.

One woman — Melissa Aliucci — rounds out the eight participants in the male category.

"She is such a phenomenal athlete that she's too strong for the mixed doubles division,"Snyder said. "Katy Trostle has played in the men's division in this event before, but she can't make it this year."

The eight women competing are Carolina Haser, Annie Succop, Mary Jo Sylvia, Nance Conlon, Kristen Singleton, Ann Gatty, Marci Mustello and Stacie Lowery.

Prize money will be awarded for the first time in the event's history. The pro-am is open to the public at no admission charge.