CHARLESTON, S.C. – Fifth-year head coach Diana Cantu and the Tennessee women’s golf team are set to begin their 2025-2026 campaign at the Cougar Classic.
The Lady Vols are coming off a previous season in which they posted eight top-five finishes and a 13th-place showing at the 2025 NCAA Championships, which was the best finish since 2019.
Tennessee opens its season for the seventh time in eight seasons at Yeaman’s Hall Country Club at the event hosted by the College of Charleston.
The Par-71 course measures 6,269 yards with 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes taking place on Tuesday.
THE LADY VOLS’ LINEUP
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
Entering her final season as a Lady Vol, Chotikabhukkana owns a career nine top-ten finishes and 19 top-25s.
Sofie Engeseth
The junior Norwegian enters her second season at Tennessee after finishing strong at the NCAA Championships with an even-par score in the fourth round, as the Lady Vols made the cut for the final stroke play round. Engeseth recorded two top-ten finishes last season.
Kyra Van Kan
Year one on Rocky Top was a solid one for the South African golfer Van Kan, with four top-25 finishes and two top-ten finishes. As the season progressed, Van Kan improved her game, including registering a top-20 finish at NCAA Regionals, tying her career best for a single round with a 69.
Madison Messimer
Making her collegiate debut will be Myrtle Beach native Messimer, who joins the Big Orange as the No. 1-rated player from South Carolina. Messimer was ranked in the top 10 of the 2025 class by College Golf Commitments, AJGA, and Junior Golf Scoreboard, and posted a pair of top-five finishes at the 2024 U.S. Girls Junior Amateur and the 2024 Girls Junior PGA Championship.
Thitikarn Thapasit
The two-time Thailand National Team member will be making her collegiate debut as a freshman at the Cougar Classic. Thapasit represented Thailand in the 2024 Toyota World Junior Championships and took home medalist honors at the FCG International and FCG Collegiate Summer Championship.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (rankings according to Golf Channel’s Preseason Rankings)
No. 8 LSU, No. 10 Florida, No. 15 Auburn, No. 17 Tennessee No. 20 Ole Miss, NC State, Boston College, Charleston, Clemson, Furman, Georgetown, Georgia, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, UCF, Virginia Tech, Yale
