Tombs, Bulldogs win Ryan Lee Memorial Tournament titles

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Backed by the top individual performance of the tournament – a four-under 140 from senior Ryan Tombs (Bedford, N.H.) – the Bryant University golf team started the 2016-17 campaign off with a statement, winning both the team and individual titles at the Ryan Lee Memorial Tournament.

Bryant's two-over 578 topped second- and third-place finishers and fellow Northeast Conference teams Wagner (592) and Central Connecticut (593) by double-digit strokes, as the Bulldogs saw four top-10 finishers on the individual circuit.

Tombs shot three under par Sunday to finish the weekend at a four-under, carding the top score of the tournament in Sunday's second round (69). The senior climbed two places in the field of 75 to earn the Ryan Lee Memorial title. Tombs finished four strokes ahead of classmate McKinley Slade (Saunderstown, R.I.), who completed the competition in a three-way tie for second (144).

Sophomore Ryan Brown (Bedford, N.H.) and freshman William Del Biaggio (San Jose, Calif.) also earned top-10 finishes, tying for ninth overall after day two scores of 74 (147).

Senior John Roberts (West Hartford, Conn.) improved 20 spots with a Sunday 75 to finish tied for 39th overall, while senior Hayden Maroun (Moultonborough, N.H.) tied for 57th with a two-round score of 158 (+14).

Tombs's win marks the second-straight season a Bulldog has claimed the top spot at the Ryan Lee Memorial Tournament, after Joe Walp tied for the honor in 2015-16.

The Bulldogs return to the course Sept. 19-20, when they play in the Hartford Hawk Invitational in South Kent, Conn.