Facing a field of 17 teams that included 12 nationally ranked teams, the No. 22 Tennessee women’s golf team proved it belongs with the elite programs in the country. Over three days at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida, the Lady Vols bounced back from a slow start to secure fifth place at the Moon Golf Invitational, finishing the event with a total score of 13-over-par.

The performance was a test of the team’s resilience, as they climbed from ninth place after the opening round to secure a spot in the top five, holding off highly ranked opponents like No. 5 Florida and No. 9 Texas.

Senior Manassanan Chotikabhukkana led the charge for Tennessee. Saving her best for last, Chotikabhukkana scored under par in the final two rounds of the tournament. In a 2-under-par final round, Chotikabhukkana suffered only one bogey and tallied three birdies, including one on the final hole of the tournament. Chotikabhukkana finished the week at 1-under-par, earning a solo seventh-place finish.

Freshman Madison Messimer, coming off a week where she was named SEC Freshman of the Week, continued her streak of quality play. Messimer scored a 2-under-par round two, followed by a 2-over-par round three to finish the tournament tied for 13th.

Sophomore Kyra Van Kan played a solid role in the Lady Vols’ climb up the leaderboard. After an opening round 4-over-par, Van Kan found her rhythm, scoring back-to-back 1-over-par rounds to finish the tournament. Van Kan would finish tied for 37th individually.

The tournament began with a challenging round one, where the Lady Vols sat in ninth place after scoring 11-over-par. The turning point came in round two, as the team scored a 2-under-par round, a 13-stroke improvement from round one, moving the Lady Vols into the top five. Tennessee fought hard in round three to maintain its top-five position, beating out Florida by one stroke.

The team title was claimed by No. 8 Auburn, who finished at 7-under-par, followed by No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 16 Mississippi State and No. 7 Wake Forrest. With a top-five finish, the Lady Vols proved they are a formidable contender in the SEC and nationally.

The Lady Vols will have a few weeks off before returning to action March 8 to 10 at the Chris Banister Golf Classic at RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes in Gadsden, Alabama.