Growing up in the Cortez area, former Montezuma-Cortez High School golfer Brian Grubbs dreamed of accomplishing great things.
Now a junior at Saint Peter’s University, in Jersey City, N.J., the former Panthers’ star is living those dreams as a captain of Saint Peter’s highly successful golf team.
Competing in the MAAC Conference Championship in Florida, April 25-27, Grubbs led his team to a first-place finish with a three-round score of 230 strokes.
Not only was Grubbs’ score good score the fifth highest in the Championship, but it also represented the third best three-round total in team history.
“Something kind of clicked with my swing,” said Grubbs. “Having family down there to support me really helped me out.”
As a team, Saint Peter’s finished three strokes ahead of Monmouth University and Fairfield University, thereby securing the school’s first ever conference championship.
Thanks to the top finish, Saint Peters will now advance to the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships Regionals, which will take place May 15-17 in Sugar Grove, Ill.
Ranked last in the 14-team field, Saint Peter’s will face tough odds in the regional tournament. Regardless of his team’s results however, Grubbs plans to cherish the big-tournament experience.
“It’s a once in a lifetime achievement,” Grubbs said. “A lot of people aren’t lucky enough to get this chance.”
Now playing his third year of college golf, Grubbs explained that while challenging, the college athletic experience has been nothing short of spectacular.
“The biggest challenge is balancing everything,” said Grubbs. “Being a student athlete, out here so far away from home, I have to do everything on my own. I have to do my own laundry and I have to cook.”
Grubbs has adapted well to life in on the east coast however, finding ways to acclimate to what he described as a “different environment.”
“(New Jersey) is definitely nothing like home,” said Grubbs. “It has its advantages and its disadvantages. “I get opportunities that I would never get anywhere else, but there are so many people and I don’t see grass a lot.”
Even so, the east coast experience has been a valuable one for Grubbs, who explained that he remains true to his small town roots.
“It’s a family atmosphere in Cortez,” said Grubbs. “I have been able to bring a small town attitude…and as a team captain, that has helped me bring the team together.”
More than anything, Grubbs has been able to make his dreams come true, accomplishing great things on golf courses and leading his way to a conference championship.
