John Daly’s laid-back demeanor helped put playing partner Zoey Akagi-Bustin at ease in Tuesday’s Acura Hawaii Pro-Junior Skills Challenge at Waialae Country Club.

Akagi-Bustin closed the annual event leading up to the Sony Open in Hawaii by returning the favor.

After playing three holes as a two-person scramble, four of the five pairs of PGA Tour pros and local junior standouts went to a closest-to-the-pin chip-off from behind the 18th green to decide a winner. Akagi-Bustin, the first player up, rolled her chip to about 3 feet from the cup. Daly followed by putting his chip 2 feet, 10 inches away, and while his shot was technically the winner Daly was quick to credit the ‘Iolani sophomore after the awards presentation.

"She did it," Daly said, "because she got it close enough. It took the pressure off of me."

Daly has been a regular in the event that serves as a fundraiser for the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association and was again impressed with the collection of juniors paired with the five pros who participated and contributed to the $20,000 donation.

"It just seems to get better and better every year," Daly said of the local talent. "All five of those kids are going to be playing in college somewhere someday and become pros. So to be a part of it is always good."

As HSJGA members, the juniors benefit from both the funds and the experience of spending some time with the pros. Akagi-Bustin’s takeaway included some advice from Daly during their time on the course.

"He was really relaxed and he just said to have fun, so that was really encouraging," Akagi-Bustin said.

"There’s a way you can be serious and relaxed and put them together and play well. So I really like how he did that."

The pro-junior skills challenge had been primarily a short-game exhibition the past few years but was changed to the scramble format with the groups playing the 10th, 11th and 18th holes. Former University of Hawaii football coach June Jones, himself a junior golfer back in his youth, opened the proceedings with an address to the juniors. All five teams parred the first two holes and four birdied the par-5 18th, leading to the chip-off.

In a field that included the long-hitting Daly, Baldwin senior Ariel Elftman-Hanson ended up winning the long-drive competition on No. 10. Only drives in the fairway were counted.

"I actually felt pretty confident off the tee and my swing felt good and I happened to connect on one — not quite down the middle, but it hung in there," said Elftman-Hanson, who played with 2011 Sony Open champion Mark Wilson.

"It was cool. Playing with HSJGA for all these years I’ve never really been a long hitter, so to get the long drive felt good."

Jerry Kelly, the 2002 tournament winner, played in his 10th pro-junior challenge, this time with Kaci Masuda. Masuda easily had the most vocal cheering section, with fellow students from American Renaissance Academy in Kapolei following the 17-year-old junior.

Paul Goydos played with Moanalua senior John Oda and at age 16, Baldwin’s Tyler Munetake was actually the senior member of his pairing. Munetake played with 15-year-old Tianlang Guan of China, who made the cut and was the low amateur at last year’s Masters at 14 after winning the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Guan was given a sponsor’s exemption into the Sony Open and will be one of three amateurs in the field along with Mililani’s Jared Sawada — the Governor’s Cup winner — and Yanwei Lu of China.