Monday, September 8
Chandler, AZ
USC
vs
Whirlwind Invitational
Photo by: John McGillen
USC Men's Golf Opens Season Hosting Whirlwind Invitational
September 07, 2025 | Men's Golf
CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The USC men's golf team opens the 2025-26 season in Arizona on Monday as the Trojans host the Whirlwind Collegiate Invitational at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz. The three-round event will feature a 12-team field and will run Sept. 8-9.
"The first tournament of every year is always a little bit of an unknown," said Head Coach Mark Hankins. "Thats why we train so extensively through intersquad qualifying, and two weeks of prep. The key is team depth. To have all seven guys competing to be the top player on the team and tournament, leads to solid individual and team finishes. We've had success at this tournament in the past and look to play well and compete for a championship. We have four returners in the starting lineup and one freshman, it's a good blend of youth and experience."
The Trojans hosted the Southern Dunes Invitational to open last season in Arizona as well, playing at AK-Chin Southern Dunes GC. USC won the season-opening tournament, posting a 28-under-par 836 to outpace the eight-team field.
STARTING LINEUP:
1. Nicolas Dominguez Jr. Mexico City, Mexico
2. Jaden Dumdumaya So. Benicia, Calif.
3. Jack Buchanan So. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Raghav Gulati Fr. New Delhi, India
5. Antonio Safa Sr. Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico
HEAR FROM THE LINEUP:
Junior Nicolas Dominguez: "It happened so fast, but now that I'm a junior, I've got to step up. I'm just trying to enjoy this season and play good golf. I feel like I am playing well right now. I've just got to keep my mind right and stay focused, that's the key."
Sophomore Jaden Dumdumaya: "It feels great to be starting the season, I've definitely been looking forward to this moment. We are pretty excited. We have a great team this year and we've been putting in some good work, so hopefully that pays off."
Sophomore Jack Buchanan: "We've got a great group of guys this year, and I'm just excited to get going. Looking at Whirlwind GC, it's just a typical desert-style course, so keeping it on the short grass is key out there. The strategy is not necessarily always hitting the long clubs, just making sure you're on the fairway a lot of the time."
Freshman Raghav Gulati: "I'm super excited for the opportunity to start my collegiate career, and just looking forward to a good season. The goal for me is just trying to stay positive and keep an open mind."
Senior Antonio Safa: "I can't wait for the news guys to go out and play, and for myself to get out there as well. With desert golf, you have to be very precise off the tee. It's a course we have played a couple times. It's a really fun track, but you just have to be really accurate off the tee and hit some greens."
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Monday, Sept. 8, 2025
8:00 a.m. PT Shotgun Start - Round 1
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025
8:00 a.m. PT Shotgun Start - Round 2
1:15 p.m. PT Awards Ceremony
THE FIELD:
USC
Arkansas State
Stetson
San Francisco
James Madison
Georgia State
UT Arlington
UT El Paso
New Mexico State
Eastern Michigan
George Washington
Northern Colorado
EVENT INFO:
Live Scoring will be available via Scoreboard (Clippd)
Distance: 7,222 yards
Par: 72
Format: 5 count 4
"The first tournament of every year is always a little bit of an unknown," said Head Coach Mark Hankins. "Thats why we train so extensively through intersquad qualifying, and two weeks of prep. The key is team depth. To have all seven guys competing to be the top player on the team and tournament, leads to solid individual and team finishes. We've had success at this tournament in the past and look to play well and compete for a championship. We have four returners in the starting lineup and one freshman, it's a good blend of youth and experience."
The Trojans hosted the Southern Dunes Invitational to open last season in Arizona as well, playing at AK-Chin Southern Dunes GC. USC won the season-opening tournament, posting a 28-under-par 836 to outpace the eight-team field.
STARTING LINEUP:
1. Nicolas Dominguez Jr. Mexico City, Mexico
2. Jaden Dumdumaya So. Benicia, Calif.
3. Jack Buchanan So. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Raghav Gulati Fr. New Delhi, India
5. Antonio Safa Sr. Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico
HEAR FROM THE LINEUP:
Junior Nicolas Dominguez: "It happened so fast, but now that I'm a junior, I've got to step up. I'm just trying to enjoy this season and play good golf. I feel like I am playing well right now. I've just got to keep my mind right and stay focused, that's the key."
Sophomore Jaden Dumdumaya: "It feels great to be starting the season, I've definitely been looking forward to this moment. We are pretty excited. We have a great team this year and we've been putting in some good work, so hopefully that pays off."
Sophomore Jack Buchanan: "We've got a great group of guys this year, and I'm just excited to get going. Looking at Whirlwind GC, it's just a typical desert-style course, so keeping it on the short grass is key out there. The strategy is not necessarily always hitting the long clubs, just making sure you're on the fairway a lot of the time."
Freshman Raghav Gulati: "I'm super excited for the opportunity to start my collegiate career, and just looking forward to a good season. The goal for me is just trying to stay positive and keep an open mind."
Senior Antonio Safa: "I can't wait for the news guys to go out and play, and for myself to get out there as well. With desert golf, you have to be very precise off the tee. It's a course we have played a couple times. It's a really fun track, but you just have to be really accurate off the tee and hit some greens."
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Monday, Sept. 8, 2025
8:00 a.m. PT Shotgun Start - Round 1
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025
8:00 a.m. PT Shotgun Start - Round 2
1:15 p.m. PT Awards Ceremony
THE FIELD:
USC
Arkansas State
Stetson
San Francisco
James Madison
Georgia State
UT Arlington
UT El Paso
New Mexico State
Eastern Michigan
George Washington
Northern Colorado
EVENT INFO:
Live Scoring will be available via Scoreboard (Clippd)
Distance: 7,222 yards
Par: 72
Format: 5 count 4
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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