VALDOSTA, Ga. – The 2025-26 Valdosta State men's golf season gets underway on Sept. 15-16 in Petersburg, Va., at The Griffin Invitational, hosted by Saint Leo University.  The 54-hole tournament will feature 36-holes on Monday, Sept. 15, followed by 18-holes on Tuesday, Sept. 16.  The 16-team field will play on the 7,064-yard Country Club of Petersburg Course.
 
Saint Leo is the top-ranked team in the field checking in at No. 20 in the preseason Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll, which was announced last month.  Belmont Abbey, Catawba, Palm Beach Atlantic and Valdosta State each are among others receiving votes in the poll.  Division I-member Longwood University also is competing in the tournament, along with D2's Chowan, Coker, Ecker, Emmanuel (Ga.), Fayetteville State, King, Mount Olive, Trevecca Nazarene, Virginia Union and Wilmington (Del.). 
 
The Blazers initial lineup for the first tournament of the season features Blazer junior newcomer William Carestam at the top spot in the lineup as he transferred to VSU from Charleston (W.Va.) and is a native of Gothemburg, Sweden.  Junior returnee Alexander Nilehn is second in the lineup, followed by senior returnee Joshua Burki.  Junior newcomer Nick Mueller is fourth as he comes to Titletown from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and junior returnee Landon Bassford rounds out the lineup.  Freshman Valdosta newcomer Jimmy Cohen will be playing as an individual for the Blazers.  Cohen graduated from Lowndes County High School. 
 
VSU returns to The Griffin Invitational in 2025 as the team last played it to begin the 2023-24 season and also at Country Club of Petersburg.  That year, VSU finished sixth with a 54-hole score of 883.  The host Lions of Saint Leo won the 14-team field with an 850 score.   Both Burki and Bassford competed in the tournament in 2023.  Burki finished tied for 47^thwith a 226 score and Bassford, playing in his first collegiate tournament, finished tied for 61^st with a 229 score. 
 
Fans can access links to live scoring of the tournament by clicking here.  Check back each day following the tournament for a complete recap of the round(s).  
 
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