In the 2004 Dunkin Donuts Duff Challenge 800 two-man teams from across the nation competed against each other in an attempt to qualify for the chance to play against PGA pros John Daly and Scott Hoch. When the dust settled, Mark Booher and Jerry Mangus of Salt Lake City, Utah had beaten 180 other teams for the chance to battle the pros at Casa Blanca golf club in Mesquite, Nevada for the chance to win $50,000.
Mangus, a sixth grade teacher, has played seriously for the past 12 years and carries a 10 handicap. Booher, the longer hitter of the two, is a mortgage broker, has played for 7 years, and carries a handicap of 6.
The format for the match was best-ball match play, and the amateurs were given 16 strokes over the 18 holes. Daly and Hoch jumped on the amateurs early taking the 1st hole to go one up. On the par-5 2nd hole, Mangus holed a bunker shot for birdie to put pressure on the pros. Daly responded by sinking his birdie putt to halve the hole. The amateurs won the par-4 5th hole when Booher sunk a putt for net birdie. After nine, the pros were three up thanks to Daly’s sinking a short birdie putt. At the turn Mangus commented: “These guys are good. If we’re going to win we need more strokes!”
The pros went on to win the 10th hole to go four up after Mangus missed a short par putt. At the par-4 13th hole neither amateur received a stroke. Boher nearly drove the green and nearly sunk his eagle putt from the fringe and the hole was halved at birdie. Daly and Hoch were dormie going into the par-5 15th. The amateurs hopes were squashed when Mangus lost his drive left and Boher sent his approach into the water. Daly went on to eagle the hole and close out the match 5&3.
When it was all said and done the Duff Challenge helped raise $5000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Two golfers also received the chance every amateur dreams about: competing against PGA pros. Boher summed up the experience saying, “It was a blast. Today was fun.”