It wasn't that Ryan Sikora disliked being a salesman or peddling foam products.

Rather, he didn't like the travel, especially with a new baby boy at home, and he missed playing competitive golf, something he did as well, if not better, than most of the club professionals in the Tri-State PGA section.

So, seven months after trying a new profession, Sikora, 31, went back to his old one, accepting a job three weeks ago as an assistant professional at Pittsburgh National Golf Club in Gibsonia. Good move for him. Bad move for the rest of the players who have to compete against him again.

"I missed playing golf, for sure," Sikora said. "I missed the competition. It's not the same as just going out and playing."

Sikora fired a warning signal last week when he won the Seven Springs Open in his first event back as an assistant professional. Yesterday, he reminded everyone he is here to stay by shooting 71-70--141 on the first day of the 72-hole Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational at the Pittsburgh Field Club, a tournament he won in 2006.

Sikora is one of three players who trail Oakmont amateur Nathan Sutherland, a junior-to-be at Miami (Ohio) University, by four shots heading into the third round today of the three-day tournament that features an elite field of 40. Sutherland shot 3-under 67 in the morning -- the only sub-70 score posted -- and finished at 3-under 137.

But, because he is an amateur, Sutherland cannot accept the $25,000 first prize -- the largest awarded in the Tri-State section and one of the largest of any PGA of America section. Neither can West Penn Amateur champ Nathan Smith, one of five invited amateurs, who is tied with Sikora and Ty Roush of Riverside Golf Club in West Virginia at 141.

But Sikora can, and with a two-month-old son, Luke, at home, it certainly would be a nice welcome-back present to the section.

"When Tim Nypaver called me and offered me a job, I told him I would think about it," said Sikora, referring to the golf professional at Pittsburgh National.

He took about a week to decide he was coming back.

His return to Fuhrer did not take off the way he imagined. Starting on No. 10 in the morning, he played the three par-3s on the front in 5-over for a 38. But he shot 32 on the back, thanks to an eagle at the 555-yard 15th when he hit a 4-iron to 30 feet and made the long putt.

It was not much different in the afternoon. Starting on No. 1, he played the front nine in 38, then shot 33 on the back despite a bogey at the final hole -- the redesigned 215-yard 18th that has 46 yards more length and less of a steep incline to the green.

"It was tough watching these guys play early in the year," Sikora said. "I actually like playing against them. Even though we're just club professionals, it's still competition."

Sutherland took a big step toward becoming the third amateur to win Fuhrer's tournament.

His morning 67 included an eagle at the 525-yard 11th when he hit a 3-iron from 230 yards to 15 feet, though he offset that with a three-putt double bogey at the par-3 18th. He finished much the same way in the afternoon, offsetting a 6-foot birdie at No. 8, his 17th hole, with a bogey at the finish.

Two years ago, Sutherland was disqualified from the tournament when he incorrectly signed for a wrong score on the first day.

NOTES -- Oakmont professional Bob Ford withdrew before the round because of a bad back. ... Treesdale amateur Mike Van Sickle, winner of the nation's Ben Hogan Award after a school-record 11 career victories at Marquette, declined his invitation because he was given a sponsor's exemption into this week's John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour.