Men's Golf | 4/1/2019 9:03:00 PM
Hellertown, Pa. – The Robert Morris University men's golf team made up an eight-stroke deficit by posting a one-under 287 in today's final round of the Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational, winning the event by four strokes for its second tournament victory of the season.
Robert Morris entered the day sitting in fifth out of 20 teams, but was the only team under par on the afternoon, with a mark four strokes better than any other team. The Colonials' two-day score of 585 (+9) is their fourth lowest ever relative to par in a 36-hole tournament, and four strokes better than tournament host Lafayette at 589 (+13). Bucknell (590, +14), Iona (592, +16), and Navy (593, +17) rounded out the top five, while Bryant (602, +26) finished 10th as RMU's only Northeast Conference (NEC) competition.
PDF: 2019 Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational Final Results
Chris Tanabe of Bucknell held onto his first-round lead to claim individual honors, but the duo of Max Palmer and Kyle Grube were right behind him in third place with a two-day mark of one-under 143. Palmer paced the Colonials on the final 18 with a three-under 69, his third round at or under par this season. The junior opened the round with one of his six birdies, adding three consecutive and four in total on the front nine to go along with nine pars.
Grube followed up his career-tying 71 (-1) from a day ago with an even-par 72. The junior netted his first top-five finish in the process, closing the tournament with three birdies and 12 pars. He finished strongly down the stretch, tallying those three birdies over his final eight holes to go along with four pars.
Bryce Gorrell posted his fourth round at or below par this season with a one-under 71, putting him in a tie for 12th overall. Gorrell came out of the gates flying with a birdie, par, and eagle on the par-four, 410-yard first hole, and closed his round with three more birdies over the last eight holes.
Chase Miller rebounded from a tough opening round to card a three-over 75. Miller's round consisted of 13 pars and a birdie on the par-five, 489-yard 15th hole, and he closed his day with a lone bogey over the last nine holes.
Nicholas Mihalo registered a six-over 78 on the day, while Ethan Sawyer – who played as an individual – carded a nine-over 81.
This is the first time since the 2014-15 season that the Colonials have won multiple tournaments in a season, as they were previously victorious at the season-opening Northern Kentucky Fall Classic. RMU won four tournaments in 2014-15, including the NEC Championships.
Robert Morris is back in action on Saturday, April 6 when it competes in the Towson Spring Invitational.
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