University Southern California Trojans
Monday, September 7
Chandler, Ariz.
USC
vs
Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate
Photo by: Darryl Webb
USC Men’s Golf Hosts Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate to Start 2026-27 Season
September 06, 2026 | Men's Golf
For the second straight year, the Trojans will kick off the fall season at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — The No. 22 USC men's golf team starts the 2026-27 season by hosting the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz. from Sept. 7-8.
The Trojans will square off against 12 teams — including top-30 teams No. 24 Stanford and No. 28 California — to kick off the four-tournament fall slate. The first two rounds will be played Monday, starting with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. PT with the second round immediately to follow. Tuesday's final round begins with a 7:45 a.m. shotgun start with an awards ceremony to follow. Live scoring links via Scoreboard will be provided on the men's golf team's schedule page on usctrojans.com.
Head Coach Mark Hankins brings back four contributors from last year's team that brought USC to the NCAA Championships for the first time in seven years. Juniors Jaden Dumdumaya, an All-American and 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year, and Jack Buchanan lead the way for the Trojans, while senior Nicolas Dominguez and Raghav Gulati both played in the middle of the postseason lineup. The Trojans added four players in the offseason: transfers Deitrek Gill (Pacific) and Joshua Hong (UTSA), plus freshmen William Hou and Hendrik-Luka Schmitz.
Historically, the Trojans have excelled at the Whirlwind Golf Club. Last year, the Trojans won the Whirlwind Invitational with a 52-under 812, which was the second-best tournament score in program history. Additionally, alum Antonio Safa set the program record for the best 54-hole score with a 17-under 199 to win the individual title."
EVENT INFO:
Whirlwind Golf Club | Chandler, Ariz.
Distance: 7,334 yards
Par: 72
Format: 5-count 4
Live Scoring will be available via Scoreboard (Clippd)
THE LINEUP:
THE FIELD:
No. 22 USC
Arkansas State
Baylor
No. 28 California
Eastern Michigan
Fresno State
James Madison
Louisiana-Monroe
New Mexico State
Santa Clara
No. 24 Stanford
UTEP
Washington State
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Monday, Sept. 7, 2026
8:00 a.m. PT — Round 1 (shotgun start)
~1:30 p.m. PT — Round 2 begins (continuous play)
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026
7:45 a.m. PT — Round 2 (shotgun start)
1:15 p.m. PT — Awards ceremony
HEAR FROM THE LINEUP:
Senior Nicolas Dominguez: "It feels like every year there's a different vibe of the team. I feel like this year I've gotten to know the team a little bit better. There are more people on the team as well. I'm just excited for my senior year."
Junior Jack Buchanan: "The course is a bit different to last year, it's a bit softer than when we were out here last year, making it a touch longer. The fairways are good, greens are really good, you can land balls by the pin and get it to stop out here. It's just playing dart golf this week. Just leaving yourself in good places off the tee to attack left and right pins. I like the course. The team likes the course. We've played well here in the past and we're all ready to get going this week."
Junior Jaden Dumdumaya: "From what I learned last year, I know that this course is kind of a marathon and not a sprint. We have a 36-hole day tomorrow, so we need to try to take it slow and not get too aggressive at the beginning. That's my goal: just keep it rolling and trust the process out there."
Sophomore Raghav Gulati: "Playing as an individual, this tournament is more about personal goals. Just play well, stick to my everyday routines, go through my process and see where I can finish on this leaderboard. For the team, the guys are playing well. Everyone's in good form, so it'd be nice to see them get a win this week."
Freshman William Hou: "It's pretty special. I just can't believe I'm in college already. I think this is a great opportunity for me to play a higher level of golf and try to compete with other good golfers."
Freshman Hendrik-Luka Schmitz: "It's a great team. We've got great chemistry. How has my game changed? We've played a lot of golf, definitely a little bit more than at home, and we've played a lot on the course to qualify for this. I love it."
Graduate Senior Deitrek Gill: "I'm super excited to get going. The guys have been great. I feel our team's super tight. I'm just hoping for a great week and to get my career out as the Trojan started off right."
Sophomore Joshua Hong: "It feels great to be here. I'm surrounded by such really good teammates. Everyone's really good and we need to work really hard to be able to play in the tournament. I'm really excited about this year.
The Trojans will square off against 12 teams — including top-30 teams No. 24 Stanford and No. 28 California — to kick off the four-tournament fall slate. The first two rounds will be played Monday, starting with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. PT with the second round immediately to follow. Tuesday's final round begins with a 7:45 a.m. shotgun start with an awards ceremony to follow. Live scoring links via Scoreboard will be provided on the men's golf team's schedule page on usctrojans.com.
Head Coach Mark Hankins brings back four contributors from last year's team that brought USC to the NCAA Championships for the first time in seven years. Juniors Jaden Dumdumaya, an All-American and 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year, and Jack Buchanan lead the way for the Trojans, while senior Nicolas Dominguez and Raghav Gulati both played in the middle of the postseason lineup. The Trojans added four players in the offseason: transfers Deitrek Gill (Pacific) and Joshua Hong (UTSA), plus freshmen William Hou and Hendrik-Luka Schmitz.
Historically, the Trojans have excelled at the Whirlwind Golf Club. Last year, the Trojans won the Whirlwind Invitational with a 52-under 812, which was the second-best tournament score in program history. Additionally, alum Antonio Safa set the program record for the best 54-hole score with a 17-under 199 to win the individual title."
EVENT INFO:
Whirlwind Golf Club | Chandler, Ariz.
Distance: 7,334 yards
Par: 72
Format: 5-count 4
Live Scoring will be available via Scoreboard (Clippd)
THE LINEUP:
- Jack Buchanan
- Jaden Dumdumaya
- Nicolas Dominguez
- William Hou
- Hendrik-Luka Schmitz
- Deitrek Gill (individual)
- Raghav Gulati (individual)
- Joshua Hong (individual)
THE FIELD:
No. 22 USC
Arkansas State
Baylor
No. 28 California
Eastern Michigan
Fresno State
James Madison
Louisiana-Monroe
New Mexico State
Santa Clara
No. 24 Stanford
UTEP
Washington State
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Monday, Sept. 7, 2026
8:00 a.m. PT — Round 1 (shotgun start)
~1:30 p.m. PT — Round 2 begins (continuous play)
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026
7:45 a.m. PT — Round 2 (shotgun start)
1:15 p.m. PT — Awards ceremony
HEAR FROM THE LINEUP:
Senior Nicolas Dominguez: "It feels like every year there's a different vibe of the team. I feel like this year I've gotten to know the team a little bit better. There are more people on the team as well. I'm just excited for my senior year."
Junior Jack Buchanan: "The course is a bit different to last year, it's a bit softer than when we were out here last year, making it a touch longer. The fairways are good, greens are really good, you can land balls by the pin and get it to stop out here. It's just playing dart golf this week. Just leaving yourself in good places off the tee to attack left and right pins. I like the course. The team likes the course. We've played well here in the past and we're all ready to get going this week."
Junior Jaden Dumdumaya: "From what I learned last year, I know that this course is kind of a marathon and not a sprint. We have a 36-hole day tomorrow, so we need to try to take it slow and not get too aggressive at the beginning. That's my goal: just keep it rolling and trust the process out there."
Sophomore Raghav Gulati: "Playing as an individual, this tournament is more about personal goals. Just play well, stick to my everyday routines, go through my process and see where I can finish on this leaderboard. For the team, the guys are playing well. Everyone's in good form, so it'd be nice to see them get a win this week."
Freshman William Hou: "It's pretty special. I just can't believe I'm in college already. I think this is a great opportunity for me to play a higher level of golf and try to compete with other good golfers."
Freshman Hendrik-Luka Schmitz: "It's a great team. We've got great chemistry. How has my game changed? We've played a lot of golf, definitely a little bit more than at home, and we've played a lot on the course to qualify for this. I love it."
Graduate Senior Deitrek Gill: "I'm super excited to get going. The guys have been great. I feel our team's super tight. I'm just hoping for a great week and to get my career out as the Trojan started off right."
Sophomore Joshua Hong: "It feels great to be here. I'm surrounded by such really good teammates. Everyone's really good and we need to work really hard to be able to play in the tournament. I'm really excited about this year.
Players Mentioned
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Monday, September 16
