USC men’s golf enters the Trinity Forest Invitational with momentum after its third-place finish at the Vuori Invitational. The Trojans climbed three spots on the final day after shooting a 1-under-par final round, securing their best finish of the season so far. 

USC heads back to the Trinity Forest Golf Club as defending co-champion, one year after sharing the tournament title with Rice University, as it prepares for another deep tournament field waiting in Dallas. 

Junior Jaden Dumdumaya will be one of USC’s key players to watch this weekend after a notable performance at Trinity Forest last season. He shot a 9-under 63 in the final round by carding nine birdies and zero bogeys to help secure a tie for third place. That performance helped USC erase its deficit, adding to Dumdumaya’s strong track record at the course entering this year’s event.

Junior Jack Buchanan will be another player to watch after leading USC at the Vuori Invitational. Buchanan finished 10th at 1-over 214, giving him his first top-10 finish of the season and sixth of his Trojan career. He briefly took the individual lead during the second round and enters Trinity Forest coming off his best round of the season thus far. 

USC brings back several experienced players from last season’s co-champion team, giving the Trojans a familiar core as they head back to Dallas. 

Along with Dumdumaya and Buchanan, senior Nicolas Dominguez has remained a strong veteran presence in the lineup so far this season. That experience could matter as the Trojans face another competitive field at a course where they have shown they can win. 

USC will have plenty of competition standing in the way of a back-to-back title. The Rice Owls return in a similar position as the Trojans and enter the tournament coming off a win at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic. 

The host, SMU, will also be in the field and has a strong history at the event, winning it twice and finishing second three times over the tournament’s first nine years. The University of Tulsa is also set to compete in Dallas as part of its return to men’s golf this season after a near decade-long hiatus.

The Trinity Forest Invitational will be played over three days from Sunday to Tuesday at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. The tournament will consist of 54 holes with one round played each day. Last season, the course played as a par-72 at 7,617 yards, making it the longest course USC has played so far this season.

Trinity Forest also has a different setup than a lot of traditional courses. The links-style course features rolling terrain, native grasses, and dramatic bunkering and green complexes that can make controlling the ball difficult. Dumdumaya’s 63 last season showed how low scores are still possible when players take advantage of the course.

For USC to defend its title, the Trojans will need strong rounds from Dumdumaya and Buchanan as well as from players deeper in the lineup. If freshman William Hou, sophomore Hendrik-Luka Schmitz or sophomore Joshua Hong make the lineup, any of them could become important — assuming Trinity Forest produces the kind of low-scoring seen in past years. 

Graduate student Deitrek Gill could also give USC a proven option after opening the season with a strong individual performance. With four scores counting each round, one big round from the bottom of the lineup could make the difference in a tight field.

USC entered this season with high expectations after winning four tournaments and returning to the NCAA Championships last year, placing 29th. 

Buchanan, Dominguez and Dumdumaya were all named Big Ten preseason players to watch, giving the Trojans an experienced group to build around this Fall. Trinity Forest gives that core another chance to show how much of last season’s success can carry over into this year. 

USC will tee off at Trinity Forest Golf Club on Sunday and will play until Tuesday in Dallas.