June 17, 2009
MACOMB, IL — A few Western Illinois University student athletes, who are members of the WIU men’s and women’s golf teams, will tee off next week at the Pepsi LP Collegiate Golf Championships (PLPCGC) at WIU’s Harry Mussatto Golf Course in Macomb.
In late 2008, the Little People’s (LP) Golf Championships Association teamed with WIU and its championship Harry Mussatto Golf Course to form the PLPCGC, which is slated for June 22-24 and targeted for men and women golfers aged 18-21.
The 2009 event will be played on the 18-hole course, which features the Oscar L. Champion nine and the Eric Gleacher nine. There will be one men’s and one women’s division in the 18-21 age group.
WIU students and men’s and women’s golf team members slated to play next week:
Ben Kilbourn (men’s), incoming freshman, Bloomington, IL
Jacob Roberts (men’s), freshman, Mount Sterling, IL
Emily Brink (women’s), sophomore, Quincy, IL
Claire Gursh (women’s), junior, Litchfield, IL
Samantha Hainline (women’s), sophomore, Galva, IL
Jenna Keane (women’s), senior, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Kristen Palmer (women’s), sophomore, Bloomington, IL
Lindsay Wandrey (women’s), sophomore, Pewaukee, WI
Men will play from the 6862-yard black tees, with a course and slope rating of 73.6/136. Women will play from the 6054-yard gold tees, with a course and slope rating of 69.9/128.
“The rolling terrain of the Lamoine River Valley offers spectacular views and challenging golf at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course,” said Mel Blasi, a former Pepsi Little People’s player and director of golf at the WIU course.
The WIU course has hosted the Mid-Continent Conference and Summit League Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships, as well as the Illinois High School Association Sectional Championships, and is the home course for the Western Illinois University men’s and women’s golf teams.
Official practice rounds for all Pepsi LP Collegiate Golf Championships players will be on Monday, June 22, with 18-hole competition Tuesday-Wednesday, June 23-24. The entry fee, which includes three-day greens fees and a picnic on Monday night, is $160. Registration will be at the WIU Golf Course Pro Shop from noon-6 p.m. Sunday, June 21 and from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, June 22. For practice round tee times, call the golf course at (309) 298-3676.
Gift certificates for golf merchandise will be awarded to first, second and third places in both the men’s and women’s divisions.
“We are excited to host the Pepsi LP Collegiate Golf Championships at Western Illinois’ Harry Mussatto Golf Course,” said Blasi. “The golf course will provide a great test for the collegiate player, challenging them from tee to green. A score of even par is always an excellent round of golf at the WIU course.”
The PLPCGC is a division of the Little People’s Golf Championships Association, which for the past 35 years has conducted the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships for boys and girls aged 3-17. The 36th annual PLPGC will be held June 22-24, 2009, at five golf courses in the Quincy, IL, area, approximately 55 miles southwest of Macomb.
“We are delighted to be able to offer this excellent golf course as a venue for the collegiate divisions,” stated Nan Ryan, executive director of the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships. “Mel Blasi has a longtime relationship with Pepsi Little People’s, having played in the tournament in 1979 and 1980, and he has spent the past 12 years as head coach of the Western Illinois University men’s golf team. He will be a definite asset to the success of the 18-21-year-old division.”
Entry forms for the 2009 PLPCGC are available at www.littlepeoplesgolf.com. According to Ryan, the updated tentative pairings are now listed on the Little People’s Golf Association website.
For additional information, see the website or call (217) 257-5718. Directions to WIU’s Harry Mussatto Golf Course are available at golf.wiu.edu (click on “The Course,” located on the left hand navigation bar on the page, and “Driving Directions” will appear in the dropdown menu).
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