University of Tennessee Athletics
Preview: #16 Lady Vols Tee Off NCAA Tournament at Waco Regional
May 10, 2026 | Women's Golf
The No. 16 Tennessee women's golf team begins NCAA tournament play this week at the Waco Regional in central Texas.
The tournament will feature three rounds of stroke play, beginning with the opening round on Monday, May 11, and spanning through Wednesday, May 13. One round will be completed on each day of competition. The top five teams after 54 holes will advance to the NCAA Championships, which are set to be contested at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa's Champions Course in Carlsbad, California, from May 22 through May 27.
Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas, will play host to the Waco Regional. The Ralph Plummer-designed course, recently renovated in 2023, features rolling hills, tall oak trees, and a scenic view of Lake Waco. The par 70 course will play at 6,094 yards this week.
Tennessee is looking to add to what has been one of the best seasons in program history, headlined by the first SEC Championship title in program history last time out. The Lady Vols earned their team-record fourth win of the season after a dramatic path through three rounds of stroke play, earning the No. 6 seed, and three rounds of match play, culminating in a 3-2 victory over Auburn in the final, for the conference crown.
The Lady Vols are seeking a second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance in 2026, a feat that has not been accomplished by the program since the 2015 and 2016 NCAA tournaments. At the Lubbock Regional in 2025, Tennessee earned a fourth-place finish to advance to the NCAA Championships, where they posted a 13th place finish.
This week will be Tennessee's fourth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and the 32nd overall in program history. The Lady Vols have previously advanced past the regional round to the NCAA Championships 15 times.
Tennessee Lineup
Madison Messimer
A dominant debut season on Rocky Top has seen Messimer become Tennessee's first SEC Freshman of the Year since 2003, earning All-SEC First Team honors, and a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She was the joint individual runner-up at the SEC Championship, closing the stroke play portion at 6-under-par, before winning her match in both the quarterfinal and semifinal.
Kyra Van Kan
Just a sophomore, Van Kan was named to the All-SEC Second Team after posting 15 rounds of par or better, a 71.35 scoring average, nine rounds in the 60s, and four top 10 finishes. The Johannesburg, South Africa, native sank the title-clinching putt for the Lady Vols in the final match of the SEC Championship.
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
The lone senior in Tennessee's lineup this week, Chotikabhukkana is competing in her fourth consecutive NCAA Regional. She helped the Lady Vols in their pursuit of the SEC Championship, taking a 2&1 victory in her quarterfinal match against Oklahoma.
Sophie Christopher
Christopher will look to build on a very strong spring for the Lady Vols thus far. The sophomore earned the first win of her collegiate career at the Georgia State Invitational in March and was huge in the final match of the SEC Championship, where she earned a 6&5 win against Auburn.
Sofie Engesaeth
The Norwegian international came up clutch for the Lady Vols in multiple spots during match play at the SEC Championship. The junior carded an improbable birdie on hole No. 18 of her semifinal match to force a playoff, which she won, before opening the scoring in the final match with a 6&5 victory.
Kaopan Thapasit (Sub)
Starting as a substitute in the Tennessee lineup, Thapasit has appeared in every team event as a freshman this season for the Lady Vols. She has tallied 12 rounds of par or better en route to five top 25 finishes and two top ten finishes.
Teams (seeded in the following order)
1 – Texas A&M
2 – Oregon
3 – Tennessee
4 – SMU
5 – Baylor
6 – LSU
7 – TCU
8 – Tulsa
9 – Colorado
10 – Northern Arizona
11 – Tarleton State
12 – Prairie View A&M
Individuals
Ryann Honea – Abilene Christian
Grace Quintanilla – Texas State
Malisone Chanthapanya – North Texas
Yvonne Chamness – Texas State
Bouquet Subsomboom – North Texas
Sara Pihlajamaki – Houston Christian
The tournament will feature three rounds of stroke play, beginning with the opening round on Monday, May 11, and spanning through Wednesday, May 13. One round will be completed on each day of competition. The top five teams after 54 holes will advance to the NCAA Championships, which are set to be contested at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa's Champions Course in Carlsbad, California, from May 22 through May 27.
Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas, will play host to the Waco Regional. The Ralph Plummer-designed course, recently renovated in 2023, features rolling hills, tall oak trees, and a scenic view of Lake Waco. The par 70 course will play at 6,094 yards this week.
Tennessee is looking to add to what has been one of the best seasons in program history, headlined by the first SEC Championship title in program history last time out. The Lady Vols earned their team-record fourth win of the season after a dramatic path through three rounds of stroke play, earning the No. 6 seed, and three rounds of match play, culminating in a 3-2 victory over Auburn in the final, for the conference crown.
The Lady Vols are seeking a second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance in 2026, a feat that has not been accomplished by the program since the 2015 and 2016 NCAA tournaments. At the Lubbock Regional in 2025, Tennessee earned a fourth-place finish to advance to the NCAA Championships, where they posted a 13th place finish.
This week will be Tennessee's fourth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and the 32nd overall in program history. The Lady Vols have previously advanced past the regional round to the NCAA Championships 15 times.
Tennessee Lineup
Madison Messimer
A dominant debut season on Rocky Top has seen Messimer become Tennessee's first SEC Freshman of the Year since 2003, earning All-SEC First Team honors, and a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She was the joint individual runner-up at the SEC Championship, closing the stroke play portion at 6-under-par, before winning her match in both the quarterfinal and semifinal.
Kyra Van Kan
Just a sophomore, Van Kan was named to the All-SEC Second Team after posting 15 rounds of par or better, a 71.35 scoring average, nine rounds in the 60s, and four top 10 finishes. The Johannesburg, South Africa, native sank the title-clinching putt for the Lady Vols in the final match of the SEC Championship.
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
The lone senior in Tennessee's lineup this week, Chotikabhukkana is competing in her fourth consecutive NCAA Regional. She helped the Lady Vols in their pursuit of the SEC Championship, taking a 2&1 victory in her quarterfinal match against Oklahoma.
Sophie Christopher
Christopher will look to build on a very strong spring for the Lady Vols thus far. The sophomore earned the first win of her collegiate career at the Georgia State Invitational in March and was huge in the final match of the SEC Championship, where she earned a 6&5 win against Auburn.
Sofie Engesaeth
The Norwegian international came up clutch for the Lady Vols in multiple spots during match play at the SEC Championship. The junior carded an improbable birdie on hole No. 18 of her semifinal match to force a playoff, which she won, before opening the scoring in the final match with a 6&5 victory.
Kaopan Thapasit (Sub)
Starting as a substitute in the Tennessee lineup, Thapasit has appeared in every team event as a freshman this season for the Lady Vols. She has tallied 12 rounds of par or better en route to five top 25 finishes and two top ten finishes.
Teams (seeded in the following order)
1 – Texas A&M
2 – Oregon
3 – Tennessee
4 – SMU
5 – Baylor
6 – LSU
7 – TCU
8 – Tulsa
9 – Colorado
10 – Northern Arizona
11 – Tarleton State
12 – Prairie View A&M
Individuals
Ryann Honea – Abilene Christian
Grace Quintanilla – Texas State
Malisone Chanthapanya – North Texas
Yvonne Chamness – Texas State
Bouquet Subsomboom – North Texas
Sara Pihlajamaki – Houston Christian
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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