Pepsi Little People's Golf Championships facts for kids
The Pepsi Little People's Golf Tournament is a huge international golf competition. It's for young golfers aged 3 to 19. Every year, this exciting tournament takes place in Quincy, Illinois. Some parts of the event also happen in other nearby towns, depending on the age group.
A Family-Friendly Event
The Pepsi Little People's Golf Tournament is really focused on families. Each year, a special family picnic and golf event is held. Parents and other family members can meet up, share a meal, and enjoy a fun game of golf together.
How the Tournament Started
The tournament was started by Nan Ryan in 1973. She heard someone say, "It's a shame the Midwest doesn't have a junior tournament like the International in Florida." This gave her the idea to create one in Quincy. After 33 years, the tournament in Quincy became the third most popular junior golf event in the world. Pepsi soon became the main sponsor of the golf tournament.
The First Tournament and Its Growth
The very first Little People's event had 174 girls and boys playing. It was held at the Cedar Crest Country Club in Quincy. As more and more kids joined, the tournament had to use all the golf courses in town.
- The Westview Golf Course was added in 1975.
- Spring Lake Country Club joined in 1993.
- Finally, the Knights of Columbus Golf Course was added in 1994. This course helped make space for the youngest players, aged 3 to 7.
After the famous golfer Tiger Woods became very popular, more kids wanted to play golf. In 1997, the number of players at the Little People's event jumped to 672! Even though Tiger Woods never played in this specific tournament, his success inspired many young golfers. Because of this growth, another course was added: the Norwoods Golf Club in nearby Hannibal, Missouri.
In 2007, a new age group for 18- and 19-year-olds was created. The Deer Run Golf Course in Hamilton, Illinois was added to the list of courses. This happened after the number of players reached 922.
Today, this internationally known tournament is for boys and girls aged 3 through 17. It is played at five golf courses around Quincy, Illinois. There is also a college division for men and women aged 18 through 21. They play at the Harry Mussatto (Western Illinois University) Golf Course in Macomb, Illinois.
The Pepsi Little People's Golf Championship currently has seven age groups for boys and seven for girls:
- 3-5 years old
- 6-7 years old
- 8-9 years old
- 10-11 years old
- 12-13 years old
- 14-15 years old
- 16-18 years old
