Tennessee women’s golf left Osprey Point Golf Course in Boca Raton, Florida, with a hard-fought victory at the Florida Atlantic Paradise Invitational, finishing at 10-under-par and topping a competitive 16-team field.
Tennessee’s win marked a statement performance to open the spring portion of the 2025-26 season. Paired with a Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate win in October, the spring-opener victory marks the first time since 2018-19 that the program has won multiple events in a season.
The Lady Vols’ path to the tournament victory was a blend of steady team scoring and standout individual play across all three rounds.
After finishing first on the leaderboard at -10, the Lady Vols outpaced SEC foes like Kentucky (-6) and Georgia (+4) in a tournament featuring six nationally ranked opponents.
The Lady Vols wouldn’t seize control immediately. After the first round, Tennessee sat just one stroke behind the round one leader, Kentucky, scoring a one-over-par on day one.
Freshman Madison Messimer led the way in round one, scoring a 69 (-3), which left her tied atop the individual standings.
Tennessee’s position improved dramatically in round two due to an extraordinary performance by sophomore Kyra Van Kan. Van Kan scored one of the most impressive rounds of the week with a bogey-free 7-under-par 65, propelling the Lady Vols into the team lead at 5-under-par after two rounds.
Van Kan’s second-round performance not only tied the best individual round of the tournament but also tied the fifth-best round in program history and set a new career-best.
Heading into the final round with a narrow one-stroke lead, Tennessee would need a collective team effort to seal the win.
While Van Kan and Messimer continued to play well, contributions from senior Manassanan Chotikabhukkana and sophomore Sophie Christopher were vital in preserving Tennessee’s advantage.
Chotikabhukkana and Van Kan scored the lowest for Tennessee in round three, each posting a 3-under-par 69.
Their performances helped Tennessee maintain its position atop the leaderboard as the final round unfolded. The Lady Vols outmatched Kentucky down the stretch to secure the team title.
Van Kan finished the tournament at 10-under-par, earning her the individual champion. Messimer followed behind with a solo second finish, scoring 6-under-par. Chotikabhukkana would finish the tournament tied 11th with a strong one-under-par performance.
Freshman Kaopan Thapasit also finished the tournament one-under-par, tying with Chotikabhukkana in 11th, although she was only playing as an individual in the tournament field.
The victory marked the first team and individual tournament win for Tennessee in the spring and should provide an early confidence boost heading into the remainder of the season.
The Lady Vols now turn their attention to the Moon Golf Invitational at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida. That tournament starts Sunday, Feb. 15, and continues through Tuesday, Feb. 17.
With young talent like Van Kan and Messimer already posting low scores against quality competition, plus solid contributors throughout the roster, the Lady Vols look to continue their early spring success.
