Combining small-town charm, a top-notch course and lots of impressive golf, the 34th Annual Pinto Bean Classic, held Aug. 17-18 at Conquistador Golf Course, did not disappoint. By the end of the two-day tournament, multiple golfers had turned in impressive scores, multiple competitors had shared more than a few laughs and the entire field of 240-plus golfers was already looking ahead to next year.
From the very beginning of this year’s Pinto Bean, it became clear that the 2013 rendition of the end-of-the-summer classic would be anything but ordinary. Flying out of the gate with a first-round score of 63, Cortez golfer Curtis Garver left little doubt that he was the man to beat.
As impressive as Garver’s first round was, however, Cortez resident Matt Unrein managed to keep pace by shooting a 69. Tommy Serrano was also impressive, shooting a 73 in an outstanding first day.
Moving into the second round of the tournament, Garver, Unrein and Serrano continued to post impressive numbers. Unrein and Serrano were unable to close the gap on Garver, however. Shooting a second-round score of 71, Garver won the tournament with a two-day score of 134. Unrein finished second with a two-day score of 146 while Serrano finished 3rd with a two-day score of 147.
For Garver, the win was especially sweet considering that it was his third in the past four years. While it is still too early to look ahead to next year’s Pinto Bean Classic, there is little doubt that Garver will again be a favorite to win the event.
Not to be outdone by those competing for the overall title, golfers participating in 5 different flights posted impressive net scores. Tying for the top net score in the tournament, former Montezuma-Cortez High School standout Brian Grubbs and Shreve Tso each shot a 137.
In the first flight, Geno Thompson came way victorious with an adjusted score of 135. Glenn Stewart won the second flight, posting an adjusted score of 139, while Paul Obletz won the third flight with a score of 133. Rounding out the tournament’s victory circle was Ron Long, who came away victorious in the fourth flight.
Speaking about what makes the Pinto Bean a special event, Brian Grubbs stated, “Growing up in Cortez, (the Pinto Bean) was my U.S. Open. When I was 4 or 5 years old, I would ride around in a cart watching the event. Every year that I come back, I play to win. It’s always a great experience.”
Adding to this year’s experience, Conquistador Golf Course was in exceptional condition. In fact, according to Grubbs, certain parts of the course were the best they have been in years.
“[Conquistador] was in great condition,” stated Grubbs. “The greens haven’t looked this good in five or six years. Everyone enjoyed [the course], I know they did. We all had a lot of fun.”
At the end of the day, the opportunity to have fun is what makes the Pinto Bean Classic so special. A family-oriented tournament held at a beautiful course, the Pinto Bean promises to delight golfers and spectators alike for years to come.
