Jeff Castle, a professional playing from Towson Golf & Country Club, sent everyone home in regulation time at the 54th annual Pro-Am championship of the Maryland State Golf Association at the Country Club at Woodmore, July 19. The low pro in last week's Maryland Open and amateur partner Chris Emerich finished 32-33--65.to lead a field of 56 teams. The Prince Georges County course plaued at 8,899 yards to a par of 36-36--72.

Castle, in the last pairing of the day, birdied the 18th hole when he made a six-foot putt with a right-to-left break to seal the decision. He cut off some of the listed 524 yards at the final hole, driving into the left rough, laying up short of a treacherous front bunker, then lofting a superb shot that came down above the cup. It left him needing a delicate touch to finish it off and after he and Emerick agreed on the line, he had the touch as the ball broke into the heart of the hole.

Earlier, Castle and Emerick had combied for six birdies and the closest they came to a bogey was at No. 9, where Castle missed the green and chipped poorly, but Emerick chipped in for par to keep the momentum going. "He helped like that all day," Castle said of his partner. "A couple of holes I was out of, he came through. Some of his pars were bigger than some of his birdies."

The most interested on-lookers were the pairings of Dirk Schultz-Steve Ligi. from Beaver Creek Country Club in Hagerstown, and Jeff Williams-Rusty Pies, from Bethesda Country Club. They had posted successive 66's two hours earlier, then waited to see if they might be in a playoff. Tight finishes were nothing new for Schultz, who lost a playoff, tied for second, and finally got a win during a three-year span (2006-08).

Ligi had five birdies and Schultz, two, but the latter three-putted 16 to slip back. Pies also had five birdies, and Williams, one at the 12th, but they followed with six straight pars to remain tied at 6-under. There were four teams at 67: Jaime Gylan-Charlie Palmer (Piney Branch Golf Club). Justin Heimer-Brent Martin (Breton Bay Country Club), David Long-Bryan Anderson (South River Golf Linkas), and Gary Mankulish, Jr.-Zach Lese (Lakewood Country Club). John Bierkan-Henry Blue (Caves Valley Golf Club) were alone at 68 and eighth place. Martin, medalist in sectional qualifying, had gone to the second round of the U.S. Public Links championship last week, while Long and Blue are former champions with different partners.

- Reported by John Stewart from Woodmore