USC Men’s Golf Wraps Up First Day of Cowboy Classic in Third Place

Men’s Golf | April 01, 2024

MARICOPA, Ariz. — The USC men’s golf team competed in the first and second rounds of the Cowboy Classic on Monday (Apr. 1) in Maricopa, Ariz., finishing in solo third before the day was cut short by lightning in the area. After a quick turnaround following The Goodwin in San Francisco, the team finished its first round and is currently 13-14 holes through its second round, sitting at 19-under (280+209(14)=489).
 
Grand Canyon, who led the tournament all day, finished at 27-under before the postponement, 7 shots in front of UNLV in second place and 8 shots in front of the Trojans. 
 
Taking advantage of the familiar course where the Trojans played in the Copper Cup earlier this fall, senior Krando Nishiba played some of his best golf of the year on Monday, finishing in a tie for first and scoring a tournament-best 3-under on par 3’s for the day. In the morning loop, Nishiba tallied a total of 7 birdies and finished in 6-under (66). Through 13 holes in his second round, Nishiba is 3-under and has yet to make a bogey, pushing him to a tournament total of 9-under.
 
After leading the Trojans at Harding Park over the weekend, junior Gavin Aurilia was right at home at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club where he kicked off his day by firing a 3-under (69) making 4 birdies on holes 12 through 16. Aurilia continued to impress in the afternoon round, starting off with birdies on his first two holes pushing him again to 3-under on the round. After the stoppage, he currently sits at a total of 6-under in a tie for 11th.
 
Sophomore Antonio Safa fought hard in the morning session, finishing at 1-over (73). He notched a few more birdies in the afternoon and pushed his total to 2- under par on the round before the stoppage of play.  He currently sits at 3 under par total, in a tie for 34^th.
 
Graduate Sam Lape is 1 shot behind Safa at the end of day 1 and currently in a tie for 46^th at 1 under par.  He also sits at 2-under through 14 holes in the second round at the Cowboy Classic.
 
Freshman Nicolas Dominguez rounded out the Trojans, posting a solid 72 – even par round in the morning.  He has 3 birdies and 3 bogeys in his second 18 and sits at even par, t57 total. 
 
Although the day was cut short, USC had a strong performance and locked in one of its best first rounds…