BUTLER TWP — The 17th annual Butler Country Club Tennis Pro-Am featured plenty of tradition — and a couple of new faces.

The doubles event — teaming a club pro and an amateur together — featured eight teams facing each other in a round-robin format.

“Nobody knows who his partner is until everyone gets here and is on the court for our (pre-tournament) meeting,” BCC club pro and Pro-Am organizer Whitney Snyder said. “We do it this way to make it a social event, not cut-throat.

“We want a summer picnic-like atmosphere. Friendship is more important than winning.”

Two standout athletes in other sports — Knoch graduate Stefan Carlsson and Butler junior David Bocci — both took up tennis for the first time this summer and participated in the Pro-Am.

Carlsson, 24, a standout golfer who carries a 0-handicap as a member at Butler Country Club, also ran track in high school. He competed in golf for Penn State Behrend.

Carlsson teamed with long-time tennis pro Trent Goerk. The duo finished last among the eight-team field.

“I've been playing tennis for a month and I'm out here with guys who have been playing for years,” Carlsson said. “I've always been active and athletic and I wanted to give this sport a try. I'm always at the club anyway.

“This has been a learning experience for me. Just being on the court with these guys, I'm learning different shots and a lot of technique. I'm getting an education on positioning, too. I like it. It's a fun sport to play.”

Carlsson played an 18-hole round of golf at BCC Sunday morning before taking to the tennis court for nearly three hours.

“Like I said, I'm active,” he said. “And it's a pretty good way to spend a Sunday.”

Goerk recognized Carlsson's athleticism and said: “I let him do all the running. It's been fun. This is definitely different for him than playing singles.”

Bocci is an all-state caliber swimmer at Butler. He was one of two junior tennis players in the Pro-Am. Will Stevenson of Sewickley Academy was the other.

Bocci joined the BCC youth program, run by Snyder, this summer.

“My brother (Andrew) has been playing tennis here and I dropped him off at the club early this summer,” Bocci said. “One of the pros here talked me into staying and joining the program.

“From water to land, it's quite a bit different. My athleticism has helped me, for sure. I can get around pretty well on the court and that makes up for some of my weaknesses.”

Bocci and his partner, Will Kleeman, finished third in the event. They won their first three matches.

“My partner's been great at covering up for me,” Bocci said, laughing.

Carlsson and Bocci have both taken tennis lessons and plan on staying with the sport.

Ron Jones — who teamed with Trevor Heck and finished in second place Sunday — has stayed with the sport for years. Snyder coached him when Jones was a member of the BCC junior tennis program 30 years ago.

Snyder has been running the BCC junior program for 32 years. Jones' children — daughter Alex, 12, and son Jake, 10 — are among the 53 BCC junior tennis players in Snyder's program today.

“My kids love the game,” Jones said. “Whitney was a good coach who is now a good friend to me.

“He's always promoted sportsmanship with kids. He's passionate about the sport and that resonates with all of the kids in the program. He's a great mentor.”

Mike Bummer and Thom Roberts, another longtime club pro, won the Pro-Am.

“This event is a good time with a lot of very talented players,” Jones said. “For someone like me who thinks he's a good player ... It puts me in my place.”