MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — For many people, cornhole and summertime backyard barbecues go hand-in-hand.

Standing beside two wooden boards 27 feet apart tossing beanbags into a small hole on the board opposite them is a tradition for many, though nobody really knows how the game originated. Over the past few years, however, it has seen a rise in popularity because of its easiness to play and the social aspect that it brings for players.

“The slogan has always been ‘It’s more than just a backyard game,’” said Tye Smith, a Milledgeville resident and recent participant in Georgia’s cornhole state championships. “You just don’t realize how competitive it is until you go to a money tournament, because some of those guys travel to play every weekend.”

Smith said he first played cornhole in 2014 at a friend’s house and started competing in a few backyard tournaments. Soon after that, he got together with his current cornhole partner, Chris Burrell, to host a tournament with a cash payout for the winners.

“At that point we didn’t know how good people were at cornhole until that day,” said Smith. “We thought we were pretty good playing in the backyard, but those guys come and pretty much ring the hole every time. It was kind of mind-blowing.”

After their first tournament, Smith said that some of the guys who participated spoke with him about joining and playing in the American Cornhole Organization, the highest governing body for the game since it began in 2005.

“We had no idea that the ACO was even a thing before we got into it,” said Smith. “Last year was my first full year playing in it, and Chris has been in it for two years.”

After competing in the ACO as players for a short time, Smith and Burrell decided to take the next step and become certified officials so they could begin hosting their own regional tournaments in Milledgeville.

And along with hosting tournaments, Smith and Burrell have also started a local organization, called Lake Country Cornhole, for players in the area. The two organized and held the first tournament for Lake Country Cornhole in October 2014, and they usually have a group that gets together at Duke’s Lounge and Dawg House on Sinclair Marina Road to play once a week.

“We have about 20 or 30 that play religiously with us each week,” said Burrell. “We have folks that travel from Augusta, Atlanta, Swainsboro, Dublin, Byron and Warner Robins who come play down here.”

With so many people coming from all over the state to compete each week at Duke’s, Burrell said that traveling is a major part of the game.

“I’m going to Las Vegas in December to play,” said Burrell, “but I’ve traveled as far as Lakeland, Fla., which is about nine hours from here. We travel to every state around Georgia to play during the ACO season.”

Recently, Smith and Burrell traveled to Byron to take part in the state cornhole championships put on by the ACO. There, Burrell placed seventh in the state’s singles division while Smith came in 17^th.

Following solid finishes at the state tournament both players are now ranked in the top-20 in the state’s singles division and just outside of the top-200 out of more than 2,000 ACO players nationally.

“We’re right there together,” said Burrell. “That’s pretty good considering we’ve only been playing about two years.”

Along with playing in the state championships, Smith and Burrell said that they also plan on making the trip to Owensboro, Ky. to compete at the ACO World Championships July 25-29, where $30,000 in prizes will be awarded to winners.

“We’ve got a golden ticket, which means we automatically qualify,” said Smith. “We’ll start playing in a 10-person ranked invitational pool and try to finish in the top three of the pool to make it into the main bracket of the top 256.”

With Smith and Burrell earning their tickets from competing in the singles division, the two also plan to compete in the doubles division together at the world championships.

“My partner that I played with isn’t going to the world championships, and neither is his,” said Smith. “We talked to them and decided that we were going to part ways with them, and Chris and I would be partners going forward.”

Along with tackling the world championships as a newly formed team, Smith and Burrell also have their eyes set on achieving professional status at the upcoming tournament, too.

“We can actually become pros at the world championships if we make it out of our mini-pool and into the main bracket and win one game in it,” said Smith. “If you do that, you’re a pro for the next two seasons.”

But even though the pair will compete at cornhole’s biggest event in late-July, both Smith and Burrell said that the game has not strayed from its roots of friendship and fun.

“It’s like a big family,” said Burrell. “We all shake hands at the end of the day win or lose. It’s a fun sport where you can drink and still play.”