After 18 holes at the Rhode Island College Invitational last Friday, Lee Bloom '09 found himself tied for the tournament lead. The last time he was in that situation, he lost the playoff at the Jack Berry Massachusetts Institute of Technology Invitational last spring. Any leftover playoff hole demons were exorcised this time around.Bloom sunk a six-foot par putt on the second sudden death playoff hole to defeat Nichols College junior Shawn Santos and win his second tournament of the season.

"I'm pretty happy I got a little redemption from last year when I lost in the playoff in the last tournament [of the spring season]," Bloom said.

Bloom's score of 3-over-par 75 led Brandeis to a third-place tie with Johnson and Wales University out of seven teams. The Judges shot a 32-over-par 320 for the day, 17 strokes ahead of fifth-place Elms College. Nichols College won the tournament with a 17-over-par 305.

After posting identical scores through 18 holes, Bloom and Santos each shot a par on the first hole of the playoff. On the second hole, however, Santos hit a bogey, allowing Bloom to seal the victory with his short par putt. He said he cannot remember ever hitting a walk-off putt to win a tournament in his entire golf career.

"I'm proud of [Bloom] and how he's been playing lately-very consistently and in control, and he's just been very solid," coach Bill Shipman said.

Three of the other four Brandeis players to compete placed in the top 20 out of 35 total golfers. Captain Ralph Harary '09 and Charles Sacks '11, who shot one of two eagles in the tournament, were part of a three-way tie for 14th place with scores of 9-over-par 81. Aaron Cusato '12 finished in a tie for 17th place with a score of 11-over-par 83. Aaron Hattenbach '09, the Judges' leading scorer at the Nichols College Tri-Match earlier this season, finished in a tie for 21st place with a 14-over-par 86.

Prior to Friday's tournament, the Judges hadn't competed since the Oct. 8 Nichols College Invitational, where they finished third out of nine teams. Alex Podell '09 led the team and finished fifth overall with a score of 8-over-par 80. Podell is the fourth different Brandeis golfer to lead the team in strokes this season, joining Bloom, Cusato and Hattenbach.

"It's great, it shows a lot of depth on the team, which we haven't had before-four or five golfers who can shoot a low number," Shipman said. "If they all play well, they have a chance to compete with the best teams around New England."

"Anybody could [play] well at any given time, so we're happy to be in that situation," Harary added.

Brandeis finished 23 strokes behind host Nichols College, which won the tournament with a score of 22-over-par 310.

Tufts University was the only other school to finish ahead of Brandeis, with a score of 34-over-par 322.

The Judges wrap up their fall season in Brewster, Mass. today at noon when they compete in the second day of the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships.