QUINCY, Ill. – Brooke Dillon from Prairieville, LA. won the Pepsi Little People Junior Golf World Championship (8 & 9 year old division) held June 17-18.
The tournament is recognized as the 3rd largest junior tournament in the world attracting nearly 700 kids from all over the US and 18 other countries. Past champions include PGA major winners Zach Johnson and Ben Curtis to name a few.
The tournament was a two day, 18-hole event with nine holes played each day.
Dillon finished the first round tied for the lead with Claire Hodges of Wildwood, Mo. at 36 and just one shot clear of Karen Kim from Korea. Dillon started the final round off strong with a quick birdie on hole number one, after a bogie on hole three and a par by Kim Dillon found herself back to a one shot lead on Kim.
On hole four Kim made a 35 foot birdie to temporarily pull even but Dillon calmly made a 34 foot birdie of her own to reclaim the lead. Dillon was two shots ahead of Kim heading into the par 3 eighth hole were she hit her tee shot to ten feet, Kim followed with a tee shot into the front bunker were she struggled and was finally on the green in 3 shots. Dillon delivered by making the birdie putt and Kim went on to double bogie the hole.
Dillon made par on the final hole and went on to win by five shots firing a final round 32 and a two-day, 18 hole total 68 to capture her first junior world championship.
Dillon finished last season with a runner up finish at the US Kids Junior World Championship hosted in Pinehurst, NC.
