Pepsi Little People's Golf Championships facts for kids
The Pepsi Little People's Golf Tournament is a huge international golf tournament. It's for young golfers aged 3 to 19. Every year, this exciting event takes place in Quincy, Illinois. Some parts of the tournament are also held in other nearby towns.
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A Family-Friendly Event
The Pepsi Little People's Golf Tournament is all about family fun. Each year, there's a special family picnic and golf event. Parents and family members can meet up and enjoy a meal. They also get to play a relaxed game of golf together.
How It All Started
The tournament began in 1973. A woman named Nan Ryan founded it. She heard someone say, "It's a shame the Midwest doesn't have a junior tournament like the International in Florida." Nan decided to create one!
After 33 years, the tournament in Quincy became very popular. It was ranked as the third most attended junior golf event worldwide. Soon after, Pepsi became the main sponsor of the tournament.
The First Tournament and Its Growth
The very first Little People's event had 174 girls and boys. It was held at the Cedar Crest Country Club in Quincy. As more kids joined, the tournament needed more space. It had to be split among 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 room for the youngest players, aged 3 to 7.
The Impact of Tiger Woods
After the famous golfer Tiger Woods became successful, more kids wanted to play golf. In 1997, attendance at the Little People's event jumped to 672 kids! Even though Woods never played in this tournament, his impact was huge. Because of the growth, the Norwoods Golf Club in nearby Hannibal, Missouri was added.
In 2007, a new age group was created for 18 to 19-year-olds. When attendance reached 922 players, the Deer Run Golf Course in Hamilton, Illinois was added.
Today's Tournament
Today, this international tournament is for boys and girls aged 3 to 17. It's played at five golf courses in the Quincy, Illinois, area. There's also a special division for college players, aged 18 to 21. They play at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course in Macomb, Illinois. This course is part of Western Illinois University.
The Pepsi Little People Golf Championship now has seven age groups for boys. It also has seven age groups for girls. These groups are: 3-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, and 16-18.
