Men's Golf | 4/11/2017 4:56:00 PM
Moon Township, Pa. – Facing a seven-stroke deficit heading into the final round of the RMU Colonial Classic, the Robert Morris University men's golf team shot its best round of the spring season with a score of 293 (+5) to win the first invitational it has hosted since October of 2013 and final tune-up before the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championships later this month.
Robert Morris carded a two-day score of 605 (+29), finishing 14 strokes ahead of second-place and round one leader St. Bonaventure at 619 (+43). Saint Francis U finished third with a score of 627 (+51), followed by Iona (630, +54), Humber (631, +55), the Colonials' second team (636, +60), Youngstown State (637, +61), Niagara (643, +67), and Canisius (663, +87).
Humber's Conner Watt brought home medalist honors with a two-day score of 148 (+4). RMU's Max Palmer came in right behind him after carding a 149 (+5), followed by teammate Michael McMorrow, Iona's Oisin Devereux, and St. Bonaventure's Nolan Ditcher rounding out the top five after each tallying a 150 (+6).
McMorrow and Daniel Franco Saad led the Colonials on the day, as the duo was the only two to post an even-par 72 this afternoon. The senior tallied 14 pars and a pair of birdies, while Franco Saad fired four birdies over a seven-hole stretch. Palmer and Grant Schumaker each managed three birdies and 10 pars to compile respective rounds of 74 and 75.
Kyle Grube led the second RMU team with a career-best 76 (+4), with David Szymanski's 78 (+6) coming in behind him. Also competing for the hosts today were Bryce Gorrell (79, +7), Alex Schreckengost (81, +9), Ethan Sawyer (82, +10), and Brett Pompeani (83, +11).
Szymanski finished in a tie for seventh overall with a score of 153 (+9), while Schumaker and Franco Saad each carded final scores of 154 (+10) to finish in a deadlock for ninth.
The Colonials' score of 293 this afternoon fell one stroke short of tying the invitational record for a single round.
This is RMU's fifth home tournament crown since 2000 and fourth over the last five invites held in Moon Township.
Robert Morris will next compete in the NEC Championships at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., which runs from Friday, April 28 to Sunday, April 30. The Colonials have three NEC titles in program history, with its most recent coming in the 2015 season.
