Men's Golf | 4/28/2019 6:50:00 PM
Daytona Beach, Fla. – For the fourth time in program history and first time since 2015, the Robert Morris University men's golf team is Northeast Conference (NEC) champions, as it withstood a push from Bryant to capture the conference tournament by six strokes with a three-day total of 34-over 898.
Robert Morris fired its best round of the tournament with a nine-over 297, adding to its 1996, 1997, and 2015 crowns after a nail-biting Sunday. The Colonials extended their advantage to as many as 10 strokes on the front nine before seeing it shrink to as little as two down the stretch, but some clutch shots saw the blue and white leave LPGA International with the hardware.
RESULTS: 2019 NEC Championships Final Results
"It feels good, the guys worked really hard all year," said head coach Jerry Stone. "When we were down, they still worked and worked. Some of the tournaments, the weather was bad but everyone else played well and we didn't, so I didn't know. They put it all together this week. It was a special week for them."
RMU had won two tournaments (NKU Fall Collegiate Classic, Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational) entering the weekend, but also suffered a last-place finish at the Titans Motown Collegiate and an 11th-place effort at the Wright State Invitational, its last competition before conferences. Despite the inconsistencies of this season, the Colonials – who were picked second in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll – knew they could improve from its runner-up finish from a year ago.
"There's a lot of good teams in the conference," said Stone. "From top to bottom, anyone can win. Playing with Bryant and Sacred Heart the last two days, and throughout the year – we know what kind of players they have. But from looking at the scores and seeing what Bryce (Gorrell) did starting out, and Max (Palmer), Kyle (Grube), Chase (Miller), and Daniel (Franco Saad), on the back nine we just kept telling them to stay in the moment and stay engaged. Those guys did the same thing on the other teams, we were just a little better this week."
"It's been a wild ride," said junior Max Palmer. "I feel the last couple years, it wasn't our year to win. Some other team was definitely the favorite, but this year ever since we got down here, we just felt it was our week. We had that feeling the entire time."
Palmer and fellow junior Kyle Grube finished second and third, respectively, and earned spots on the All-Tournament Team. Palmer finished at three-over 219 for the 54 holes, while Grube carded a four-over 220. The pair both posted an even-par 72 on the final 18, finishing behind Fairleigh Dickinson's Florian Schroedl (-1, 215) for medalist honors.
Grube finished his round with 16 pars and a birdie, but a bogey on the 17th hole might have been his biggest shot of the day. The junior had to take a drop after his tee shot took an unlucky bounce and careened left, but rebounded to sink a long putt that kept the gap manageable and forced the pressure back on Bryant.
"I was really hitting it well today," said Grube. "But (hole 17) was honestly the first fairway I missed. I knew it off the tee left and I hoped it didn't get caught in the hazard, but it landed before it. I tried everything I could to make bogey and waited for the rules official to hear my ruling and tell me where I had to drop – unfortunately I hit it in the bunker, but made a great up-and-down from there. Really thought that bogey was huge for us."
Palmer's even-par 72 was a little more up-and-down, as the 2017 NEC Rookie of the Year tallied six birdies and eight pars, but also carded two bogeys and two double bogeys. He ended his round and the tournament in style, however, birdieing the final hole to seal the Colonials' second title in five years.
Bryce Gorrell posted a two-over 74 to finish third on the team this afternoon. Gorrell opened the day with a birdie and eagle, and added one more birdie on the ninth hole. He finished his round with 10 pars over the final 12 holes.
Daniel Franco Saad and Chase Miller both finished in a tie for 18th place at 17-over 233. The duo both registered a seven-over 79, with Miller collecting 12 pars and Franco Saad adding 10 pars and a birdie.
RMU led the field in pars (167) and par-four scoring (4.17, +26). Palmer paced his counterparts in pars (37) and tied for second in birdies (9), while Grube shared second in pars (36) and seventh in birdies (8).
For seniors Franco Saad, Gorrell, and David Szymanski, the Colonials' fourth title also marks a steady four-year climb from fourth place in 2016, third in 2017, and the aforementioned runner-up finish last season.
"I was told that coming off 18 by one of our seniors (Franco Saad) who played all four (NEC Championships)," said Stone. "He reminded me that and said that it was our year. When you come down here, the NEC Championships are a different tournament. The golf course is different, no matter how much we play on it and prepare for it. It's a different animal down here playing for a conference championship … but it's sweet when you win."
Like 2015, RMU led wire-to-wire, only sharing the top spot with Sacred Heart at the end of the second round. Bryant (904, +40) and the Pioneers (916, +52) rounded out the top three, followed by Fairleigh Dickinson (920, +56), LIU Brooklyn (921, +57), Saint Francis U (924, +60), Mount St. Mary's (928, +64), St. Francis Brooklyn (965, +101), and Wagner (969, +105).
With the victory, Robert Morris earns a berth to play in its second NCAA Tournament. The Colonials will find out their regional location on Wednesday, May 1 at 9:00 p.m. when the entire 81-team field is announced on the GOLF Channel. Regionals are conducted in a 54-hole format from May 12-15.
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