Pepsi Little People’s sees 242 young golfers tee off

QUINCY — Hadley Neese made the decision a couple of years ago to concentrate on golf.

She had always enjoyed playing competitive soccer and basketball, but eventually came to the conclusion that her true athletic passion was at its highest with a golf club in her grip.That doesn’t necessarily mean that passion represents a walk in the park.

“I am always working on trying to stay calm on the golf course,” said Neese, a 15-year-old sophomore-to-be from Overland Park, Kan. who is one of 242 golfers in 10 age groups playing this week in the 49th annual Pepsi Little People’s Championships at Westview Golf Course.

Neese said it was the individual aspect of golf that drew her to the sport.

“I just didn’t care for the (team sports) as much as golf,” she said. “I wanted to golf.”

Traveling with Hadley are parents Jason and Jessica Neese. How much have they seen their daughter improve over the past few years?

“When Hadley and I used to play it was how (many strokes) dad would win by,” Jason Neese said noting that the tables have now turned and Hadley is coming out on top. “I’m just a golf dad now.”

There are golfers from 12 states and two countries on hand at Westview. States represented are Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Florida, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, Kentucky, California, North Dakota, Colorado and Kansas. Also represented are foreign countries South Africa and Barbados.

Jason and Jessica Neese said they allow Hadley to decide how busy she wants to be with golf. In particular, how many tournaments she wants to play.

“We don’t push her,” Jessica Neese said. “The mental aspect of the sport can be a heartbreaker. The mental part of the game is huge.”

Issa Geisendorfer, 14, is a Quincy golfer who enjoys the overall attraction of the Little People’s Tournament.

“Playing in this you get to meet people from all over the country and around the world,” said Geisendorfer, who has built many friendships over the “five or six years” he has been playing in the tournament and looks forward to strengthening those bonds each summer when he reconnects with those long-distance pals at Westview.

“Golf is a great game,” Geisendorfer said. “It’s time-consuming and you have to be focused, but all ages can play. And no matter if you have a bad day or a great day, it’s always fun.”

Not everyone’s day at the Little People’s Championships was overly positive. Ava Kalt, 15, of Machesney Park, Ill., was forced to withdraw due to heat exhaustion. The temperature was in the low 90s Tuesday. Kalt said she was fine afterward, but disappointed that she could not finish.

“I missed the last four holes,” she said.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” said her her dad, Tommy Kalt.

Overall, however, the tournament was proceeding quite smoothly, according to longtime president of the event, Nan Ryan.

“Everything is just great, unbelievable,” she said. “Our staff is fabulous and doing a great job.”

The Pepsi Little People’s Championships date to 1974. The record number of entries came in 2000 when 922 participants took part from 37 states and seven countries.

In addition to this year’s representatives from South Africa and Barbados, other countries to have sent golfers through the years include China, Hong Kong, Canada, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, England, France, Thailand, Colombia, Bermuda, Philippines. Guam, Korea, Switzerland, Dominican Republic, Denmark, Bermuda, Paraguay, Japan, Ireland, Spain, India, Martinique, West Indies, Finland and Australia.