By Lohan Sutton
No. 16 Lady Vol golf defended its Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate title on Tuesday, finishing at 6-under-par 278 at Cherokee Country Club and winning by 11 shots at 21-under 831.
It is the program’s fifth team title in the event and the second in a row, and a full gallery was on hand.
The 831 is the second-lowest team score in event history, one shot off Kent State’s 830 in 2019. Monday’s 11-under 273 matched the third-best single round the tournament has ever produced, and the Lady Vols were the only team under par that day.
Sunday did not set up to look like a blowout. Tennessee opened with a 4-under 280 and sat tied for third, seven shots back of High Point and four shots behind Baylor.
Madison Messimer already had the card moving, though. She opened with a bogey, then went bogey-free over the last 17 holes for a 4-under 67, one shot off the individual lead.
“I bogeyed the first hole, but I just tried to stay positive, keep playing consistent, smart when I had to be but aggressive when I could be,” Messimer said after round one. “I played super good after that.”
Softer greens from the weekend rain gave her those looks.
“It was definitely softer on the greens,” Messimer said. “That let me be more aggressive and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities.”
Sophie Christopher and freshman An Le Chuc were the other two in the counting lineup at even par or better. The pieces were in motion but hadn’t stacked yet.
What was already stacked was the gallery. Parents, family, and friends filled the course all three days and followed groups from the first tee to the final green. Head coach Diana Cantú said that support was part of the week that stood out.
“What was most special this year is seeing the amount of people that came and supported,” Cantú said. “Every year the crowd gets bigger, and it says a lot about where our program is going and the support we’re getting from our Tennessee community. We had parents fly here to watch their kids play. It’s really incredible.”
For Kyra Van Kan, the trip was personal. Her parents do not get to see her often, and this was their first time in Tennessee.
“It’s amazing. I don’t see them very often,” Van Kan said after round two. “I’m incredibly thankful that they got to travel all this way to come and watch me play.”
On Monday, the scoring caught up to the support, and it did it in the wind. Conditions tightened at Cherokee. Greens were firmer than Sunday, and the breeze became a real factor in club selection.
“The greens were a little bit firmer today. Also, the wind was blowing about 10 to 15 miles per hour,” Van Kan said after round two. “It really changed a lot. I feel like I’m a pretty good player in the wind because I can get more creative.”
The Lady Vols were not fazed. They were the only team in the 15-team field to finish under par, and they did it big.
They made the turn tied for the lead at 8-under, then pulled away to an 11-under 273. That put Tennessee at 15-under through 36 holes, seven shots clear of Baylor.
“This tournament means a lot to them. They play this golf course often, and they want to do well in front of the people supporting them,” Cantú said. “We needed to put that aside, go play free golf, and understand that we can make some mistakes and that’s okay. Our games are good enough to make up for them.”
Van Kan was the spark. After a 2-over 73 on Sunday, the preseason third-team All-American finished 2-under through six and closed with a 5-under 66. She said the putter carried it seven one-putts in the first seven holes.
“Yesterday I was just putting too much pressure on myself, and too much pressure on the outcome. Obviously, this is our home golf course,” Van Kan said. “Today I reminded myself that I need to enjoy it and that I need to be free-swinging. I was able to loosen up and stick to the focus of my game.”
Sofie Engesæth added a 3-under 68. Messimer stayed consistent with a 2-under 69. All five in the counting lineup finished round two at even par or better.
On Tuesday morning, the energy was already there. The question was not whether the Lady Vols could win. It was how loud the finish would be.
The finish was loud. A closing 6-under 278 pushed the lead from seven shots to 11 and locked up the program’s fifth team title at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, and the second in a row.
Final leaderboard
1. Tennessee, −21
2. Baylor, −10
3. High Point, −4
4. USF, −2
5. East Carolina, −1
6. South Alabama, +9
7. Abilene Christian, +15
8. East Tennessee State, +17
9. Florida International, +23
10. Campbell, +30
11. Eastern Kentucky, +42
12. Western Kentucky, +52
13. Kennesaw State, +54
14. Charleston Southern, +56
15. Chattanooga, +76
Last year’s win was the first of four in a season that ended with the program’s first SEC championship. This one arrives the same way, at home, early, and with a lineup already playing like a contender.
Messimer kept the individual trophy orange, too. She started the final round two shots back of High Point’s Makayla Grubb.
Messimer fired a bogey-free 6-under 65, the low round of the week in the 81-player field.
Messimer and Grubb finished tied at 12-under 201 to share the individual title. The 201 ties the tournament record set by Molly Smith of UCF in 2023. Messimer made 14 birdies and only two bogeys all week.
This marked her second collegiate win at Tennessee.
Christopher kept climbing. She opened the season tied for second at the Cougar Classic, posted a top-10 at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, and added another this week. A closing 68, four birdies and one bogey, was her third straight round of par or better at Cherokee and moved her to eighth at 4-under.
Van Kan added a 1-over in the final round and finished ninth at 2-under. The Monday round of 66 was the round that shifted the tournament. The top 10 is the tenth of her career with the program.
Chuc and Engesæth tied for 19th at 1-over 214. Playing as individuals, Martina Lopez-Lanchares tied for 24th at 2-over 215 and Tanjira Issaraphon tied for 31st at 5-over 218.
Lady Vol Leaderboard
T1. Madison Messimer, 67-69-65 — 201 (−12)
8. Sophie Christopher, 70-71-68 — 209 (−4)
9. Kyra Van Kan, 73-66-72 — 211 (−2)
T19. An Le Chuc, 71-70-73 — 214 (+1)
T19. Sofie Engesæth, 72-68-74 — 214 (+1)
T24. Martina Lopez-Lanchares (i), 72-71-72 — 215 (+2)
T31. Tanjira Issaraphon (i), 70-72-76 — 218 (+5)
The fall is already building the same way it did last year. Tennessee opened at the Cougar Classic with a runner-up team finish, Christopher tying for second individually. In Canada, the Lady Vols took fourth at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, and Messimer tied for fourth. Now the home event is a title defense and a share of the individual championship.
UP NEXT: One fall start remains. The Lady Vols head to the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate, Oct. 19–21, at Halbert National in Granbury, Texas.