For the first time in program history, Tennessee women’s golf stands atop the SEC. 

The Lady Vols captured the SEC title on Tuesday, defeating Auburn 3-2 in the championship round of match play at Pelican Golf Club in Bellaire, Florida, to secure the program’s first-ever conference championship. 

After three days of stroke play to determine seeding, Tennessee entered match play as the No. 6 seed, stringing together three straight match play victories to claim the championship. 

In the quarterfinals, the Lady Vols rolled past three-seed Oklahoma with a dominating 4-1 victory. Junior Sofie Engesæth led the way with a commanding six-hole victory. Sophomore Kyra Van Kan came back from down two with six holes to play to win her match by two holes. Senior Manassanan Chotikabhukkana and freshman Madison Messimer would secure the remaining two victories for Tennessee. 

The semifinals would be a much tighter battle. The Lady Vols beat seven-seeded Texas A&M 3-2. Van Kan would dominate in a match where she led from the first hole, ultimately winning by four holes. Down one with one hole to play, Engesæth carded a massive birdie for the Lady Vols, forcing a playoff. In the playoff, she made quick work of her opponent, winning in one hole, a win that put Tennessee in the driver’s seat for the match. The Aggies responded with a match victory of their own to make it 2-2 heading into the final match. Messimer led for most of the match, but a double-bogey on hole 15 brought the match to within one. She responded with back-to-back birdies to close out the match, winning by three holes and sending the Lady Vols to the championship round. 

In the final, the Lady Vols faced No. 4 seed Auburn. Carrying momentum from her clutch semifinal victory, Engesæth dominated her match, winning by six holes. Sophomore Sophie Christopher also produced a dominant six-hole victory, carding four birdies. Van Kan secured the final victory for Tennessee in her match. On hole 16, she bogeyed to cut her lead to only one with two holes to play. The Johannesburg, South Africa, native responded with an SEC Championship-securing birdie on hole 17, sinking the final putt to end her match with a victory. 

Engesæth and Van Kan led the way in match play, both going a perfect 3-0 during the Lady Vols’ run.  Their consistency and clutch play across all three rounds provided crucial match victories and helped power Tennessee to the program’s first SEC title. 

With the historic moment secured, the Lady Vols now turn their attention to NCAA postseason play, looking to carry momentum and confidence into the final stage of the season. Tennessee’s performance not only marked a major milestone for the program but also signaled its emergence as a national title contender. 

The Lady Vols will return to action on May 11 for the NCAA regionals. Depending on their results, the Lady Vols can advance to the NCAA Championships, May 22-27, at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.