In the picturesque setting of Daly City, California, the USC men's golf team wrapped up their run at The Desimone Invitational with a 10th-place finish. Competing against a field of 15 teams, the Trojans showcased resilience and potential at the Lake Merced Golf Club.
Starting the day in 11th, USC climbed as high as fourth before settling in 10th with a score of 858 (-6). The tournament was a birdie bonanza, with 11 teams finishing under par on the challenging par-72, 6,915-yard course.
Arizona State, ranked ninth, dominated the event, finishing at 825 (-39). SMU's Ben Steinmann and Arizona State's Pongsapak Laopakdee shared the spotlight as co-medalists, each posting a stellar 203 (-13).
Freshman sensation Raghav Gulati was the standout for USC, delivering his best collegiate performance yet. Hailing from New Delhi, Gulati surged up 25 places in the final round with an impressive 69 (-3), tying his best round and securing a top-20 finish at 213 (-3).
Reflecting on his performance, Gulati shared, "Seeing my hard work pay off is motivating. There's more to improve on as a team, but I'm excited for what's next."
Gulati's round was a rollercoaster. He birdied the par-4 10th and the par-5 14th but stumbled with a double bogey on the 15th. Undeterred, he birdied the par-5 18th and maintained focus, finishing strong with two more birdies.
"I had mixed emotions after the double bogey," Gulati admitted. "But I reminded myself there's plenty of golf left."
Sophomore Jack Buchanan also finished under par for USC. He started strong with two birdies but faced challenges on the back nine, ending with a 74 (+2).
Senior Antonio Safa was in the mix early, climbing to third place with three birdies in five holes. However, a series of bogeys and double bogeys led to a 78 (+5), placing him in a tie for 38th.
Graduate senior Luke Stock posted a steady 72 (E), marked by five birdies but marred by a bogey and a double bogey on the front nine. Junior Nicolas Dominguez rounded out the team, finishing with a 226 (+10).
Next on the schedule, the Trojans head to Palm City, Florida, for the Valspar Intercollegiate at the Floridian National Golf Club from March 23-24. Fans can follow all updates on the USC men's golf team’s schedule page.
Individual Scores:
- T20. Raghav Gulati, -3 (71-73-69=213)
- T19. Jack Buchanan, -2 (72-68-74=214)
- T38. Antonio Safa, +1 (71-68-78=217)
- T44. Luke Stock, +2 (71-75-72=218)
- T77. Nicolas Dominguez, +10 (74-71-81=226)
Team Leaderboard:
- Arizona State, -39 (271-276-278=825)
- TCU, -19 (273-281-291=845)
- SMU, -18 (276-280-290=846)
- Texas, -18 (286-278-282=846)
- California, -18 (281-281-284=846)
- Arizona, -17 (285-279-283=847)
- Washington State, -16 (286-273-289=848)
- Pepperdine, -15 (284-279-286=849)
- UCLA, -11 (280-281-292=853)
- USC, -6 (285-280-293=858)
- San Jose State, -4 (282-281-297=860)
- Utah, E (284-285-294=864)
- Wake Forest, +7 (284-285-302=871)
- LMU, +10 (286-293-295=874)
- Washington, +13 (288-292-297=877)