Van Kan Fuels #18 Lady Vols in Round One of NCAA Championships

Friday, May 22

University of Tennessee

NCAA Championship - Round 1

Van Kan Fuels #18 Lady Vols in Round One of NCAA Championships

May 23, 2026 | Women's Golf

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The final sprint toward a national championship began for the No. 18 Tennessee women's golf team on Friday afternoon with the opening round of the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa's North Course.

The Lady Vols posted a 3-over-par team score of 291 in round one to sit tied for 16^th place through 18 holes. As a reminder of the NCAA Championships format, the top 15 teams after three rounds of stroke play will advance to round four of stroke play. Following the fourth round, an individual national champion will be crowned and the top eight teams will advance to match play, where quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final will be contested to determine which team wins the national championship.

No. 2 USC set the pace in round one with a 7-under-par 281 to sit atop the 30-team field. No. 1 Stanford is not far behind the Trojans, carding a 6-under-par 282 to sit in second place. Perhaps most notably, just five strokes separate fifth place and 16^th place, where the Lady Vols currently sit.

Kyra Van Kan established herself in the race for the individual national title on Friday, firing a 3-under-par 69 to open the NCAA Championships. No stranger to the spotlight, the sophomore All-SEC Second Team is tied for third place among the field of 156 competing in round one, just two strokes behind a pair of golfers in the individual lead.

Van Kan recorded just one bogey in the round, which she immediately bounced back from with a birdie on the next hole. She also gave Tennessee some momentum heading into Saturday's second round with a birdie on the team's final hole of the day.

Sophie Christopher posted Tennessee's second-best score of the first round, carding a 1-over-par 73. After a steady 1-under-par start through nine holes, the sophomore had an adventurous second nine featuring three birdies, three bogeys, and a double bogey. Christopher is tied for 60^th place at the end of round one.

Making her NCAA Championship debut, Madison Messimer recorded a 2-over-par 74 on Friday. The SEC Freshman of the Year started hot with two consecutive birdies to open the day, before bogey troubles around the turn pitted her above par. Messimer is tied for 86^th place ahead of round two.

Tennessee's final countable score of the day was earned by Manassanan Chotikabhukkana with a 3-over-par 75. The senior, competing in her final tournament with the Lady Vols, is tied for 100^th place through 18 holes.

After Friday's late afternoon start, the Lady Vols will have a quick turnaround for round two on Saturday. The team will tee off from hole No. 1 as follows:

Round Two Tee Times
Sofie Engesaeth – 11:20 a.m. EST (8:20 a.m. PST)
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana – 11:31 a.m. EST (8:31 a.m. PST)
Madison Messimer – 11:42 a.m. EST (8:42 a.m. PST)
Sophie Christopher – 11:53 a.m. EST (8:53 a.m. PST)
Kyra Van Kan – 12:04 p.m. EST (9:04 a.m. PST)

NCAA Championships Standings (Round One)
1. USC (-7)
2. Stanford (-6)
3. Oklahoma State (-5)
4. Iowa State (-4)
T-5. Eastern Michigan (-2)
T-5. Arkansas (-2)
7. Missouri (-1)
T-8. SMU (E)
T-8. LSU (E)
T-8. Texas (E)
T-11. Baylor (+1)
T-11. Texas A&M (+1)
T-11. Arizona State (+1)
T-11. Virginia (+1)
15. Northwestern (+2)
T-16. Tennessee (+3)
T-16. Duke (+3)
18. Florida State (+4)
19. North Carolina (+5)
20. Houston (+6)
T-21. Texas Tech (+8)
T-21. Pepperdine (+8)
T-23. Florida (+9)
T-23. Ohio State (+9)
T-25. Kentucky (+10)
T-25. Michigan State (+10)
T-27. Wake Forest (+12)
T-27. Oregon State (+12)
29. Ole Miss (+13)
30. Auburn (+14)

Tennessee Results (Round One)
T-3. Kyra Van Kan: 69 (-3)
T-60. Sophie Christopher: 73 (+1)
T-86. Madison Messimer: 74 (+2)
T-100. Manassanan Chotikabhukkana: 75 (+3)
T-122. Sofie Engesaeth: 77 (+5)