The Tennessee women’s golf team won the Chris Banister Golf Classic on March 10, finishing 35 strokes ahead of Chattanooga at the RTJ Trail Golf Course at Silver Lake. The Lady Vols shot a combined 5-over-par and posted a final round score of 2-under-par 286.
This victory marks Tennessee’s third team win of the season, tying a program record for most wins in a single season. The margin of victory is also notable, matching the third-largest in program history. The Lady Vols previously set their largest margin with a 41-stroke win at the 2019 FAU Winter Warm-Up.
Individually, freshman Madison Messimer secured her first collegiate win by shooting a tournament-best round of 4-under-par 68 in the final round. She finished as the only golfer under par for the event at 2-under overall, leading a field of 93 competitors with nine birdies across three rounds. Kyra Van Kan finished second with an even-par total and led all golfers with 44 pars during the tournament.
Four Tennessee players placed in the top ten: Messimer (1st), Van Kan (2nd), Kaopan Thapasit (6th), and Sofie Engeseth (tied for seventh). All six Lady Vols who competed finished within the top twenty-five. Lauren Nguyen, competing as an individual, tied for twenty-third place.
The team’s next competition will be at the Clemson Invitational from March 27 to March 29 in Sunset, South Carolina. Tennessee aims to continue its successful spring campaign following this strong performance.
