HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – Trevecca Nazarene University men's golf finished off a seven-position climb Tuesday, posting a final-round 297 to finish third at the Griffin Invitational at Mission Inn Resort's El Campeon Course.

The Trojans signed for an 880 (+16) over 54 holes with rounds of 298, 285 and 297 on the par-72, 7,015-yard layout.

Trevecca was 10th following Monday's opening 298 before turning the tournament around with a three-under-par 285 in round two. The Trojans shaved 13 strokes from the opening round, posted the third-best team score of the second round and jumped six spots into fourth.

Trevecca picked up another position Tuesday to finish third.

Wilson Borders closed with an even-par 72 to finish fifth individually at one-under-par 215 (70-73-72). Borders opened the tournament with a two-under-par 70 and put two par-or-better rounds on the card during the week.

Maddox Burton and Jiri Kinnunen supplied matching two-over-par 74s Tuesday, while Laird Williams' 77 completed Trevecca's four counting scores.

Burton tied for 14th at four-over-par 220 (78-68-74), while Williams gave Trevecca three golfers inside the top 20, tying for 18th at six-over-par 222 (74-71-77).

MORE TROJAN NOTES

Junior Wilson Borders finished fifth with a one-under-par 215 after rounds of 70, 73 and 72.

Borders opened with a two-under-par 70 and came back Tuesday with an even-par 72, giving him two par-or-better rounds at the Griffin and two through the opening tournament of the 2026-27 season.

The 70 establishes his season low, while the 215 came within four strokes of his Trevecca career-best 54-hole total of 211. His one-under-par 143 through 36 holes was three strokes off his career-best 140.

Borders' Trevecca career-low remains the six-under-par 66 he fired at the Saint Leo Invitational in February 2026, a score tied for the third-lowest round in program history.

The 215 also gave Borders another 54-hole tournament in red numbers. He previously finished the February 2026 Saint Leo Invitational at two-under-par 214.

Borders was even on the par-three holes at the Griffin with a 3.00 scoring average, ranking 10th in the field, and tied for fifth on the par fours at one-over-par with a 4.03 average.

He rolled in nine birdies and finished with 37 pars, ranking among the top 10 in the field.

Senior Maddox Burton tied for 14th at four-over-par 220 after rounds of 78, 68 and 74.

Burton changed the direction of his tournament with a four-under-par 68 during Monday's second round, cutting 10 strokes from his opening card and supplying Trevecca's low round of the championship.

The 68 is Burton's first par-or-better round of the season and the 23rd par-or-better round of his Trevecca career.

It also establishes his 2026-27 season low and came two strokes off his career-low 66.

Burton's career-best 36-hole total remains 138, while his career-best 54-hole score is the school-record-tying 204 he posted at the 2025 Music City Invitational.

He was especially sharp on the par-five holes at the Griffin, finishing third in the 65-player field at five-under-par with a 4.58 scoring average.

Burton finished with 10 birdies, ranking among the top 10 in the field, and supplied Trevecca's lone eagle of the tournament.

Laird Williams tied for 18th at six-over-par 222 after rounds of 74, 71 and 77.

Williams put his first collegiate red number on the board during Monday's second round, firing a one-under-par 71.

The round is Williams' first par-or-better round of the season and first of his Trevecca career. His previous career-low 71 came at the 2026 Music City Invitational, but that tournament was played on a par-70 course.

The 71 matched his Trevecca career-low score, his 145 through 36 holes matched his career-best 36-hole total and the final 222 matched his career-best 54-hole score.

Williams also led the Trojans with 11 birdies, tied for sixth-most in the field. He added three more during Tuesday's final round.

Freshman Jiri Kinnunen went lower with every trip around El Campeon in his first tournament for the Purple and White.

Kinnunen opened with an 81, cut three strokes with a 78 in round two and shaved four more Tuesday, carding a two-over-par 74.

The 74 establishes his Trevecca season and career low. His 159 through 36 holes and 233 over 54 holes become his first Trevecca marks at those distances.

Kinnunen finished with four birdies. He is still looking for his first collegiate par-or-better round.

Ryan Applin tied for 54th with a 237 after rounds of 83, 73 and 81.

His best card came Monday afternoon when he cut 10 strokes from his opening round and posted a one-over-par 73.

The 73 matched the Trevecca career-low raw score he first recorded during the 2026 Music City Invitational.

Applin finished with three birdies and remains in search of his first Trevecca par-or-better round.

Andrew Reeves posted rounds of 76 and 75 for a 151 through 36 holes and did not record a final-round score.

Reeves made seven birdies during Monday's two rounds and was especially effective on the par-three holes, playing them two-under-par with a 2.75 scoring average.

His Trevecca career-low remains the three-under-par 67 he fired at the 2026 Music City Invitational. That round remains his lone career par-or-better round.

PAR-OR-BETTER ROUNDS

The Griffin is Trevecca's season opener, making the tournament and season par-or-better totals identical.

Borders' week also produced par-or-better totals at the longer scoring marks. He was one-under-par through 36 holes at 143 and finished the full 54 holes at one-under-par 215.

Trevecca added one par-or-better team round, firing the three-under-par 285 in Monday's second round.

TROJAN TEAM NOTES

Trevecca's three-under-par 285 establishes the team's 2026-27 season-low round.

The 298-285 start produced a 583 through 36 holes, while the final 880 establishes Trevecca's first 54-hole team total of the season.

Trevecca's program records remain 271 for 18 holes, 550 for 36 holes and 836 for 54 holes. All three were established during the Trojans' championship performance at the 2026 Music City Invitational.

The Trojans finished fourth in the Griffin field on the par-four holes with a 4.24 scoring average.

Trevecca was sixth on the par-five holes at one-over-par with a 5.01 average.

The Trojans collected 44 birdies, fourth-most in the field, and added 193 pars.

Burton supplied Trevecca's only eagle.

The leaderboard climb covered seven positions from the end of the opening round to the final card. Trevecca was 10th following the opening 298, jumped to fourth with its three-under 285 and moved one more spot Tuesday to finish third.

BIRDIE TRACKER

Because the Griffin Invitational is the season opener, tournament birdie totals are also the current 2026-27 season totals.

NEXT UP

Trevecca tees it up again Sept. 21-22 at the Samuel T. Dunning Invitational, hosted by Delta State University at Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point, Miss.

The Trojans then head to Toccoa, Ga., Oct. 5-6 for the Curahee Collegiate Invitational, hosted by Erskine College.

MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS

Visit the Official Home of Trevecca Athletics at www.tnutrojans.com | www.trevecca.edu

Click for Live Video of home games.

Follow on Social Media - Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Free Newsletter

-- www.tnutrojans.com --

#PurpleReigns #DefendTheHill