Last year’s close loss gave the professional team a glimmer of hope in the Gov. John A. Burns Challenge Cup. That faded in this week’s 42nd annual event, which ended Tuesday at Mid-Pacific Country Club.

The amateur team captured eight of the 12 singles matches to retain the Cup, 16-8. Its team was even younger than last year’s and its winning margin even greater in the Ryder Cup-style event.

The 12-man/child amateur team won for the eighth straight year. The pros’ advantage is now 23-18-1 and, a year after falling by just two points, the gap has again widened.

"They are striking the ball better than we are, hitting it longer and straighter," said pro captain Andrew Feldmann, Oahu Country Club’s head pro. "Everybody on their team can hit it out there and the course played soft and long. Normally this course can play kind of fast and short so distance is not an issue."

When Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer David Ishii withdrew because of an injury, Feldmann was forced to play, and feel the pain in person. He fell to Punahou sophomore Andrew Chin 1 up in singles Tuesday. Feldmann hit a 5-iron into the final hole and "I’m pretty sure Andrew was hitting pitching wedge."

"He plays real nice, doesn’t overcomplicate it," Feldmann said. "He just gets up, hits it and goes and finds it. Mentally, you can tell he is really tough. He goes at it pretty hard and steadily gets better and better. He has a wonderful attitude too. You can’t tell if he made eagle or double (bogey)."

At 15, Chin was the youngest amateur, but only a year younger than Kyle Suppa, Kyosuke Hara and Shawn Lu. The average age of their team was just under 21, and Suppa and Hara went unbeaten, along with Alika Bell, Tyler Ota and "old man" Matt Ma, who turns 31 next month.

The amateurs went 4-1-1 in Monday morning’s best-ball matches. The pros trailed 8-4 after gaining 2½ points in the afternoon alternate-shot format.

It was too much against a group of young guys who now play — and succeed — all over the map during the year and gear up especially for this week. First they get a shot at the pros in the Burns Cup, then they play off for the Sony Open in Hawaii amateur exemption.

That comes Monday at Waialae Country Club and it wouldn’t happen without the pros and this Challenge, according to tournament chair Jim Burns. He says the PGA Tour wants that exemption back "badly."

Hawaii — amateur and professional — wants to keep it just as badly.

"The mood is great out there," says amateur captain Guy Yamamoto. "The pros really are playing for the amateurs. We wouldn’t have this match or the amateur spot at Sony without them."

The pros want to win badly, but earning a living on the course often leaves little time to practice. A great example came just after amateur Isaac Jaffurs clinched the winning point.

"It’s over," Waialae Country Club head pro Kevin Carll said. "Now I’ve got to go take care of the Turkey Shoot."

Jake Grodzinsky was the only pro to go unbeaten. Other pros who won in singles Tuesday were Casey Nakama, TJ Kua and 71-year-old Champions Tour player Dave Eichelberger, who could have shot his age against University of Hawaii Hilo senior Corey Kozuma — if they had played the last hole.

Nakama’s win might have been the most entertaining. He drained an 18-foot par putt on the final hole to beat Manoa Cup champ Nainoa Calip 1 up, then celebrated with abandon.

"I win the Manoa Cup," Nakama joked to Calip. "Thanks for making an old guy happy."

Nakama, who will enter the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame in February at age 56, enjoyed every moment of the Governor’s Cup.

"Absolutely, any kind of competition," said Nakama, who qualified for the senior tour’s Pacific Links Hawaii Championship in September. "I have a hard time competing with these young guys because they hit the ball so far, but the competition is just great. I love it."

Suppa won the battle of state amateur and Aloha Section PGA stroke-play champions, 5 and 4, over Garrett Okamura. Hara and David Saka also had big wins early, setting the pace and the table for another amateur win.

"They are really good at being young golfers — fearless and having fun," says Yamamoto, whose oldest son is 16. "Versus us old guys, who are overthinking. If the young guys miss, they are like, we will just make the next putt."

Amateurs can earn points for next year’s Governor’s Cup at the Maui Open this weekend and the Mauna Lani Resorts Hawaii State Open, Dec. 12-14.