VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's golf team continues its fall season Oct. 13-14 at the 2025 Copperhead Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla., at Innisbrook-Copperhead hosted by University of West Florida.  
 
The stacked 17-team field features the top four teams ranked in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll including; No. 1 West Florida, No. 2 North Georgia, No. 3 Florida Southern and No. 4 Lee, while No. 7 Grand Valley State, No. 8 Lander, No. 9 Wingate and No. 10 Columbus State comprise eight teams in the field in the top ten.  Additionally, Lincoln Memorial is 11^th, while Nova Southeastern is 14^th, Lynn is 15^th, Rollins is 21^st and Saint Leo is 24^thfor 13 teams in the top 25.  The Blazers, along with Flagler, Barry and Tampa all are among others receiving votes to complete the field.
 
VSU is coming off 12^th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Preview Oct. 6-7 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev.  There, the Blazers finished with a 1-over 865 score with a 292, 280 and 293 rounds.  Blazer junior William Carestam earned Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honors for his 5-under 211 for the tournament as he tied for 20^th.  
 
Carestam, a native of Gothemburg, Sweden, leads the Blazer lineup this week, followed by junior Alexander Nilehn, senior Elad Sebbag, senior Joshua Burki and junior Landon Bassford.  Last season's Copperhead Championship was cancelled due to Hurricane Milton.  Nilehn is the only Blazer to have played in the Copperhead Championship previously, as he finished tied for 42^nd with a 9-over 222 score in 2023 as a freshman on rounds of 73, 78 and 71 on the par 71 course.  As a team, the Blazers finished with an 899 score that year on rounds of 295, 302 and 302.  
 
Following the tournament this week, the Blazers will conclude the fall portion of the season at Fripp Island, S.C., on Fripp Island – Ocean Point Golf Course for the Golfweek Fripp Island to Bermuda, Oct. 20-21. 
 
Click here for a link to live results for the Copperhead Championship and check back with vstateblazers.com for daily recaps. 
 
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