By Tim Tassa -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL — Mid-Atlantic Section PGA player Bryan Jackson said he was flying down to West Palm Beach, Fla., last week to perform home repairs to a rental property he owns.

But before he could shoot a 6-under 65 at the 14th Annual Apple Blossom Pro-Am at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club on Wednesday, Jackson made sure to pack more than a set of paint brushes over that four-day span.

"I convinced the wife that I was going down to paint, but I brought my clubs, too," said Jackson, an assistant at Spring Creek Golf Club east of Charlottesville.

"So I turned it into a little business, a little pleasure."

In Florida, taking advantage of warmer weather, Jackson's main objective was to shake the offseason rust from his game, with sights of defending last year's Mid-Atlantic PGA Match Play Championship.

"Just having three, four days of 85-degree weather, and shorts, spending an hour on the chipping green and everything," said Jackson. "You know, you can't go wrong there."

And after advancing to the Sweet 16 on Tuesday, with a 5-4 match-play win at Musket Ridge in Hagerstown, Md., in the first round of his championship defense, Jackson's name painted the top of the leaderboard Wednesday with a two-shot victory — his first Apple Blossom Pro-Am win.

"Great player, great individual," said Shenandoah Valley head golf pro and Apple Blossom committee member Richard Runyan.

"Bryan manages his game well. He's a very accomplished player in the mid-Atlantic Section of the PGA, he manages this course very well. He has control of his game, he doesn't let his emotions get ahead of him. Just an all-around great player."

Aware that three-time champion Dirk Schultz, a pro at Beaver Creek Country Club in Hagerstown, posted a 4-under 67 during the morning shotgun round, Jackson had a target, and made good use of the tools packed in his golf bag.

After paring holes seven and eight on the red course — Shenandoah Valley features three nine-hole courses — Jackson eagled the Par 5 ninth, which he'd follow with four birdies over a bogey-less round.

"On the range I could tell I was swinging good, so the eagle on nine jump-started it and I just kind of held on, and just kind of plodded along, really," said Jackson, who opened the front nine with a 32 and finished with a 33.

The greens were soft and fast, he added, which rewarded long, straight drives with pristine surfaces for wedge shots.

"It's a fun, fun course, you can make some birdies," he said, "but you start spraying it, you can make some bogies too."

Jackson's round was not without crucial saves, however, with his best coming on the 17th hole, a par 4 on the red course's fifth hole. Jackson sent his drive left into the rough, and his second shot just below the green. He muscled his first putt seven feet past the hole, leaving him a downhill seven-footer for par.

"I knew I had a bogey-free round going so I really beared down," said Jackson, who made the shot and then closed his round with a birdie.

Schultz, despite shooting within two strokes of the lead, felt he was on the cusp of a much better round. Like Jackson, he eagled the red course's ninth hole to start, but missed three- and five-foot putts on the following two holes, and then three-putted the next, offsetting what could have been a dominant start.

"I felt like a left a few out there today; I played pretty solid," Schultz said.

"I've played Shenandoah Valley for 25 years now, so I know the course well and I know how Richard sets it up for the tournament. I can kind of figure out where I'm going to go before I get there."

This year's tournament attracted approximately 220 golfers, with prize money to winners in the professional and senior professional fields, to top amateur gross and net scores, and top team scores.

Jerry Wampler, who shot a 2-under 69, won senior top honors and Stephen Caron's 69 was good enough for the top amateur gross score. John Pennypacker (10 handicap) and Ric Lang (seven handicap) shot 75 and 72, respectively, earning an adjusted score of 65 — top amateur net scores.

"I think people like this. They know Apple Blossom week is coming, this is the official kickoff for the Apple Blossom Festival," Runyan said of the tournament.

"The support that it gets from all the people is tremendous," Jackson said. "No other pro-am really can do an afternoon and morning shotgun — that gives tribute to [Runyan] and the festival that goes on. It's pretty impressive."

*Contact Tim Tassa at ttassa@nvdaily.com

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