Preview: #19/20 Lady Vols Set for Clemson Invitational

Friday, March 27

Sunset, SC

University of Tennessee

Clemson Invitational - Round 1

Photo by: Donnie Smith / Jacksonville State Athletics

Preview: #19/20 Lady Vols Set for Clemson Invitational

March 25, 2026 | Women's Golf

Live Scoring

The spring season rolls on for the #19/20 Tennessee women's golf team as the Lady Vols head to Sunset, South Carolina for this weekend's Clemson Invitational.

The three-day event is set to take place on Friday, March 27, through Sunday, March 29, with one round of play completed on each day of competition. The tournament will take place at the Reserve at Lake Keowee, designed by Jack Nicklaus and considered one of the best courses in the state. The par 72 course is set to play at 6,386 yards this weekend.

A familiar member of the Clemson Invitational field, this will be Tennessee's ninth overall and fifth consecutive appearance in the event. 2025 saw the Lady Vols earn their highest ever finish in the tournament, placing fourth among a field of 15 that featured five top 25 opponents. The team's 19-under-par 54-hole finish remains the second-best team finish to par in program history.

At the 2025 Clemson Invitational, Kyra Van Kan tied for tenth place at 7-under-par, which was a career-best score to par at the time. Manassanan Chotikabhukkana also earned top 20 honors, tying for 15^th place at 6-under-par, while Martina Lopez-Lanchares tied for 21^st at 5-under-par.

Tennessee carries momentum into this weekend after securing the team's third win of the season in its previous outing at the Chris Banister Golf Classic. The Lady Vols marked a 35-stroke victory with a 5-over-par finish, placing all five members of the team lineup in the top 18 individually.

Tennessee Lineup
Madison Messimer
The freshman is coming off her first career individual victory at the Chris Banister Golf Classic, where she finished with an impressive clip of 2-under-par. The win is the cherry on top of what has been an impressive freshman season to date, including 12 rounds of par or better and five top ten finishes. Messimer earned her second SEC Freshman of the Week honor of the spring for her performance.

Kyra Van Kan
Van Kan earned runner-up honors behind Messimer in her last outing at the Chris Banister Golf Classic, closing the event at even-par. It has been an impressive start to the spring for the sophomore, as she opened the slate with a dominant individual victory at the FAU Paradise Invitational in February.

Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
The lone senior in this weekend's lineup, Chotikabhukkana has been a steady presence for the Lady Vols all season. The Thailand native has opened the spring with two top 11 finishes, leading the Lady Vols with a seventh-place finish in her most recent outing at the Moon Golf Invitational.

Kaopan Thapasit
Another stellar freshman for the Lady Vols, Thapasit earned the best finish of her debut season at the Chris Banister Golf Classic, where she closed in sixth place at 5-over-par. Thapasit has four top 25 finishes and eight rounds of par or better in just seven appearances this season.

Sofie Engesaeth
In her first appearance of the spring, Engesaeth tied for seventh place in the Chris Banister Golf Classic behind a 7-over-par performance. The junior has tallied two top ten finishes in just four appearances this season.

Participants
Arkansas (8)
Clemson (44)
College of Charleston (56)
Florida (4)
Kent State (27)
LSU (29)
Maryland (74)
Miami (73)
Michigan State (43)
Ole Miss (18)
Ohio State (39)
Princeton (70)
Tennessee (20)
UNC Wilmington (60)
Vanderbilt (15)
Virginia Tech (38)

Rankings via Clippd