Bulldogs coast for Rhode Island Invitational victory

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University golf team carded a three-round 872 (+8) and coasted to its first team win of the spring season at the Rhode Island Invitational in North Kingstown.  

The Bulldogs were the only team of the nine-school field to finish better than 20-over par and won by a comfortable 20 strokes. Three Black and Gold players finished in the top-five, including the reigning NEC Golfer of the Month, junior McKinley Slade (Saunderstown, R.I.), who shot a third-round 68 to finish at 213 (-3) and in second place. Junior Ryan Tombs (Bedford, N.H.) and senior Joe Walp (Portland, Maine) finished fourth and tied for fifth, respectively, with complete cards of one-over par (217) and three-over par (219). Walp was in second following the first day and the opening two rounds, and Tombs was in third, while Slade jumped up three spots after finishing the initial couple of rounds tied for fifth.

Senior Kyle Buschmann (East Haddam, Conn.) finished tied for 21st with a 227, 11-over par, and freshman Ryan Brown (Bedford, N.H.) carded a 230, 13-over par to finish tied for 32nd. Junior John Roberts (West Hartford, Conn.), not competing with the team, tied for the best individual score with a three-over 219 as well.

The overall winner, Billy Walthouse of the University of Rhode Island, led all three rounds and finished at five-under 211, just two strokes ahead of Slade. Fellow Northeast Conference constituent, Wagner, finished tied for second with URI, with combined scores of 892 (+28). Both Wagner and URI, along with Bryant shot 298 in the third and final round.

This marks Slade's second-consecutive second-place finish and the first tournament of the year in which multiple Bulldogs carded scores in the top-five.

The Bulldogs will be back in action this coming Saturday and Sunday, April 23 - 24, at the Til Duty Is Done Collegiate Invitational in Baltic, Conn. For complete scorecards, results and stories, please visit BryantBulldogs.com.