WILLISTON, Vt. – Rhode Island rising junior Bryson Richards put forth a dominant performance to win the 2021 Vermont Amateur at the 115th Williston Golf Club, fulfilling a lifelong dream in the process.

Richards – a Plainfield, Vt. native – was the only player in the field to break par, finishing minus-4 to win the tournament by eight strokes. Over the course of the four-round tournament, the entire field combined for eight rounds under par.

Richards posted two of the sub-par rounds to win the Dave Pfannenstein Memorial Trophy, named for the former executive director of the Vermont Golf Association. Pfannenstein died of complications from COVID-19 last spring.

"This is an event that I've wanted to win for a long time, and to be able to finally get it done this week means a lot," Richards said. "There's an added meaning to this trophy now, with the passing of Dave and what he's meant to Vermont golf. To now have my name on it is an honor."

Richards, who plays out of Country Club of Barre, is the first club member to win the Vermont Amateur in 70 years. He also is the first URI golfer to win the event.

"This is a tremendous achievement and a dream come true for Bryson," said Rhode Island head coach Gregg Burke. "He has worked so very hard to come back from having Covid and being quarantined for so long in March and April. The fact that he won by eight shots is a testament to his skill and determination.

"We recruited him to replace Chris Francoeur as a dominant number one for us, and he has accepted that with responsibility and effort.  This is just the beginning for him."

After opening the tournament with a one-over par 73 in the first round, Richards followed with a four-under 68 in the second round. He had five birdies and an eagle in the second round to take a two-stroke lead into the final day of the tournament. The eagle came on a 35-foot putt on the ninth hole.

On Thursday, Richards began the day with a five-under 67 to take a commanding lead into the final round. A steady par round of 72 in a final round that saw his lead increase to double digits at times allowed Richards to secure the title.

The runner up in the tournament in 2019, Richards led the field with 17 birdies and tied for lead with two eagles.

Richards won the second college tournament he ever played in when he won the Doc Gimmler on the Bethpage Red Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.