University of Tennessee Athletics
Monday, September 7
Charleston, S.C.
University of Tennessee
vs
Cougar Classic - Rounds 1 & 2
PREVIEW: Lady Vol Golf Opens Fall Season at Cougar Classic
September 06, 2026 | Women's Golf
A four-tournament fall slate for the Tennessee women's golf team begins on Monday at the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C.
The two-day tournament will begin with 36 holes on Monday before the third and final round takes place on Tuesday. Yeamans Hall Club will play host to the event, a traditional course designed by Seth Raynor in 1925. The par-71 course is set to play at 6,269 yards this week.
2026 will mark the fifth consecutive fall season that the Lady Vols have opened at the Cougar Classic. The Lady Vols began a historic season on the right foot at the event in 2025, finishing as the runner-up among the field of 18 at 16-under-par.
The 2025-26 season was one to remember for Tennessee women's golf. In April, the program claimed its first-ever SEC Championship, dramatically navigating through three rounds of stroke play and three rounds of match play to bring the trophy back to Knoxville. Additionally, the Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive season behind an improbable comeback at the Waco NCAA Regional.
The success wasn't exclusive to the postseason. Tennessee's four tournament victories in the 2025-26 season were the most in a single season in program history. The Lady Vols closed the campaign with ten top-five team finishes, also a single-season program record.
Tennessee Lineup
Kaopan Thapasit
Thapasit begins her sophomore season on Rocky Top on the heels of a positive freshman campaign in 2025-26. The Thailand native appeared in 12 tournaments for the Lady Vols, earning two top-ten finishes on the back of 12 rounds of par or better and a 73.19 scoring average.
Sophie Christopher
Christopher's game took big strides as a sophomore in 2025-26, becoming an indispensable piece of the lineup by the end of the season. In the spring, she earned her first career win at the Georgia State Invitational, won her match in the SEC Championship match play final, and notched a top-15 finish at the Waco NCAA Regional to help Tennessee advance to the NCAA Championship.
An Le Chuc
The lone freshman in Tennessee's lineup, Chuc will make her collegiate debut at the Cougar Classic. A highly touted incoming prospect, she is the highest ranked Vietnamese golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Chuc's junior golf resume includes victories at the 2026 Trang An AJGA International Pathway Series and two consecutive Vietnam National Championship Vinfast Cups in 2024 and 2025.
Sofie Engesæth
The joint-oldest player on the Tennessee roster by class, Engesæth was crucial to Tennessee's postseason success in the spring. The senior from Norway was victorious in all three of her individual matches during the Lady Vols' SEC Championship run and subbed into the lineup at the Waco NCAA Regional to help Tennessee advance to the NCAA Championship.
Madison Messimer
A historic freshman season for Messimer in 2025-26 concluded with SEC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-SEC, and Honorable Mention All-American honors. A native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Messimer's 71.11 scoring average and 20 rounds of par or better both broke existing single-season program records entering the season. Messimer closed the season with seven top-ten finishes, including an individual victory at the Chris Banister Golf Classic and a runner-up finish at the SEC Championship, where she became Tennessee's highest individual finisher in the event since 2011.
The Field
Host: College of Charleston
Arkansas
Baylor
Boston College
Charlotte
Clemson
Florida
Furman
Georgia
LSU
Miami
NC State
Ole Miss
Rutgers
Tennessee
UCF
Vanderbilt
Wisconsin
The two-day tournament will begin with 36 holes on Monday before the third and final round takes place on Tuesday. Yeamans Hall Club will play host to the event, a traditional course designed by Seth Raynor in 1925. The par-71 course is set to play at 6,269 yards this week.
2026 will mark the fifth consecutive fall season that the Lady Vols have opened at the Cougar Classic. The Lady Vols began a historic season on the right foot at the event in 2025, finishing as the runner-up among the field of 18 at 16-under-par.
The 2025-26 season was one to remember for Tennessee women's golf. In April, the program claimed its first-ever SEC Championship, dramatically navigating through three rounds of stroke play and three rounds of match play to bring the trophy back to Knoxville. Additionally, the Lady Vols advanced to the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive season behind an improbable comeback at the Waco NCAA Regional.
The success wasn't exclusive to the postseason. Tennessee's four tournament victories in the 2025-26 season were the most in a single season in program history. The Lady Vols closed the campaign with ten top-five team finishes, also a single-season program record.
Tennessee Lineup
Kaopan Thapasit
Thapasit begins her sophomore season on Rocky Top on the heels of a positive freshman campaign in 2025-26. The Thailand native appeared in 12 tournaments for the Lady Vols, earning two top-ten finishes on the back of 12 rounds of par or better and a 73.19 scoring average.
Sophie Christopher
Christopher's game took big strides as a sophomore in 2025-26, becoming an indispensable piece of the lineup by the end of the season. In the spring, she earned her first career win at the Georgia State Invitational, won her match in the SEC Championship match play final, and notched a top-15 finish at the Waco NCAA Regional to help Tennessee advance to the NCAA Championship.
An Le Chuc
The lone freshman in Tennessee's lineup, Chuc will make her collegiate debut at the Cougar Classic. A highly touted incoming prospect, she is the highest ranked Vietnamese golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Chuc's junior golf resume includes victories at the 2026 Trang An AJGA International Pathway Series and two consecutive Vietnam National Championship Vinfast Cups in 2024 and 2025.
Sofie Engesæth
The joint-oldest player on the Tennessee roster by class, Engesæth was crucial to Tennessee's postseason success in the spring. The senior from Norway was victorious in all three of her individual matches during the Lady Vols' SEC Championship run and subbed into the lineup at the Waco NCAA Regional to help Tennessee advance to the NCAA Championship.
Madison Messimer
A historic freshman season for Messimer in 2025-26 concluded with SEC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-SEC, and Honorable Mention All-American honors. A native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Messimer's 71.11 scoring average and 20 rounds of par or better both broke existing single-season program records entering the season. Messimer closed the season with seven top-ten finishes, including an individual victory at the Chris Banister Golf Classic and a runner-up finish at the SEC Championship, where she became Tennessee's highest individual finisher in the event since 2011.
The Field
Host: College of Charleston
Arkansas
Baylor
Boston College
Charlotte
Clemson
Florida
Furman
Georgia
LSU
Miami
NC State
Ole Miss
Rutgers
Tennessee
UCF
Vanderbilt
Wisconsin
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
Friday, May 08
Sunday, May 18
Friday, May 16
Friday, May 16
