Maryland golfers did a good job in getting through the first round of the World Series of Golf in Las Vegas on Tuesday but all three were eliminated yesterday. The tournament combines golf with the betting strategy of poker.

Rockville's Rhett Butler, last year's WSOG runner-up and a fifth-place finisher in the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2006, was eliminated yesterday on No. 16 at Paiute Golf Resort when he risked his remaining 31,550 "chips" against a player who had about double that amount. Butler, who has a seven handicap, was in the top flight.

Mt. Airy's Bill Strayton and Burtonville's Bob Winegard were competing against each other in the third flight. That foursome was won by poker professional Erick Lindgren. Another poker pro, Allen Cunningham, made the final round from a flight that included comedian Ray Romano.

Today, the five finalists will play against each other with the winner getting $250,000. The prize money for the remaining finalists goes like this: $60,000, $50,000, $40,000 and $30,000. Players who made it to the second day, including the three Maryland players, won a minimum of $10,000, an amount that covered their buy-in.