Strong Championship Flight field ready to seek 22nd Pinto Bean title

Strong Championship Flight field ready to seek 22nd Pinto Bean title

August 16, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

At least for the past six years anyway, they might as well rename the 22nd annual Pinto Bean Golf Classic to the Navajo Nation Golf Classic at Conquistador Golf Course in Cortez.

Last year Jefferson John of Farmington came into town and left with the trophy of the Championship Flight. The year before it was Shreve Tso of Page, Ariz., who showed up, his only time playing in the tourney, and won the tournament. Four years before that, Bobby Frazier of Crownpoint, N.M., owned the tournament. And two of those years that Frazier won, Jason Tsosie of Cortez was runner up, one match going an extra 18 holes of sudden-death before a winner was decided. Tso, John, and Frazier are all entered in this year’s tournament.

Danny Beyhan, Dee Tiller, and Duane Toledo, all of Farmington, are usually right in the hunt for the title each year. Dean Cunningham, Scott Pierce and Stuart Stroud, all of Cortez, are strong players and contenders. Randy (Jack) Jacobson, who won the Cortez Men’s Golf Association’s club championship and who also is the new boys golf coach at Montezuma-Cortez High School, is entered and could be a strong threat. Guy Begay, John Price, Paul Schlafly, Bobby Watson Sr., Tom Serrano, and Don Hyman are more golfers to watch during this year’s event.

"We have a really tough Championship Flight," Tanner noted. "We have a lot of past champions entered (John, Frazier, Bobby Hancock, Tso, and Stroud to mention a few). It should be a very good tournament and all of them are capable of winning. And the first flight should be very good because most of the player’s handicaps are within a few points of each other. I think it will take a score of under par to win it this year, depending on weather."

The Championship Flight and First Flight golfers will compete from the Gold Tees (7,152 yards, par 72). Other flights will tee off from the blue or white tees.

Some very good golfers from not only throughout the Four Corners, but from as far away as Nebraska, North Carolina, Kansas, California, Nevada, and Idaho have here for a weekend of golf and treated to a good time by host Midland Bean’s Jack and Rodney Tanner and family. There are very few openings each year for the 240-plus spots available. If there are any openings, there is a waiting list. It is, by far, the best amateur golf tournament around.

"I think we have something like 10 states represented," tournament director Jack Tanner said. "They like coming to Cortez and they like playing this golf course because it always is in such good shape. Everyone is excited about coming to Cortez."

Construction started on Conquistador in 1962 and opened partially with six holes in July of 1963 and three more opened in September of that year. Construction on the second nine started in 1978 and a grand opening was held in 1979. The course was designed by the late Press Maxwell, who designed such courses as Inverness, Cherry Creek, and others throughout Colorado.

Wet weather, while certainly common in mid-August, has usually not be a factor. Earlier in the week, the ladies competing in the Mesa Verde Tea Cup Invitational slogged through lots of standing water on the golf course. But the course right now is in good shape. Tanner said he’s hopeing the rainy weather will stay away during the tournament.

Matt Fuller, who is a senior at New Mexico State University, recently turned professional. Fuller, a standout with MCHS golf team and graduate of Dolores High School, has competed in the Pinto Bean once and nearly won it. However, Fuller is not eligible to compete this year.

Schlafly, also of Cortez, bares watching this year. He has been playing a lot of golf. He sank a hole-in-one last Sunday, Aug. 12, on hole no. 3, a 196-yard par 3. He used a 6-iron. Witnessing the feat were Craig Luikko, Nate Funmaker, and Jim Guest.

The date for the annual Dean Hanson Memorial Golf Tournament will be Sept. 8 at Conquistador. The format will be a five-person scramble with two shotgun starts: 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Each team must have at least one lady member and can only have one "A" player (0-13 handicap) or two "B" players (14-17) with no "A" player.

Entry fee is $45 plus green fees and cart. A dinner for all contestants will be held following the tournament. Additional meal tickets are available for $12 per person. Local Realtors, affiliate members of the Cortez Area Association of Realtors and businesses are sponsoring holes which will be used to the fund the scholarship. In addition, local businesses are providing door prizes and a vehicle from Southwest Auto Center will be up for grabs for a hole-in-one on no. 7.

For more information, phone head pro Micah Rudosky at 565-9208, Carol Click at 565-2000 or Bob Whitcomb at 564-5146. Entry forms are available at the Pro Shop or from most real estate offices.