USC’s men’s golf team closed out its fall with a third-place finish at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational on Sunday, ending just two shots behind No. 15 Georgia Tech in a tight 14-team battle.
The Trojans posted a 284 on the par-72, 7,017-yard course to finish at 850, and they were right in the mix down the stretch before slipping behind the Yellow Jackets. USC had the lead on the back nine at one point, but couldn’t hang on to claim its first tournament win of the season. Even so, the Trojans showed plenty of firepower: they led the field in par-3 scoring average and tied for the most birdies made.
“I’m really proud of the guys this weekend,” said Head Coach Mark Hankins. “It was a good performance in a tough field.
We battled back and had the lead at one point on the back nine today and it just came down to a couple of shots here and there. But I’m really proud of the guys.”
Deitrek Gill paced USC with a tie for seventh at 7-under 209, jumping seven spots with a final-round 68. He came out blazing, piling up five birdies in his first eight holes and turning in 31. Gill added another birdie on No. 13 before closing with bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17.
“We had a different wind today, so it honestly felt like a completely different course,” Gill said. “I got out to a really hot start, made some putts early, hit some really good shots and then I kind of slowed down after that. It was a solid performance today.”
Gill was one of only seven players in the 78-man field to finish with a par-3 scoring average of even par or better. He also kept his fall rolling in style, finishing in the top 10 in all three tournaments he played.
“I've felt good about my game for a while now, so I was really confident headed into this tournament,” Gill said. “I've been confident about all the parts of my game. I've been putting really well lately.”
Jack Buchanan finished his fall with another strong showing, tying for 10th at 5-under 211. After a second-round 66 vaulted him into sixth place, the junior shot an even-par 72 on Sunday. He birdied Nos. 2 and 8 to reach 7 under for the day before back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 knocked him back.
Jaden Dumdumaya and Joshua Hong each finished tied for 27th at 2-over 218, though they got there in very different ways. Dumdumaya surged 21 spots with a 71, starting with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 before making bogey on his fifth hole. He added birdies on Nos. 9 and 18 and took bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 in between.
Hong’s Sunday was tougher. He shot 78 after opening the event with back-to-back rounds of 70, which dropped him 17 places into the tie for 27th.
Senior Nicolas Dominguez closed with a 73 and finished tied for 72nd at 10-over 226.
USC’s fall schedule is done, and the results were steady across the board. The Trojans finished in the top five in all four tournaments, including top-three finishes in each of their final three events.
“We had four great tournaments this fall, and I am really looking forward to the spring,” Hankins said. “We have a great schedule lined up, and I can't wait to keep getting better as a team.”
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Ohio State's USC Trip Just Got Bigger With One Buckeye Twist
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Ohio States side of the story has taken on a different look, too, with Luke Fahey expected to start at quarterback because of Julian Sayins injury. That wrinkle only adds to the intrigue for USC, which will get a chance to test itself against one of the sports biggest brands in a game that has also sparked talk of a possible ESPN College GameDay visit. [Read more 🡒]