The No. 16 Tennessee women’s golf team began its NCAA tournament campaign with the opening round of the Waco Regional at Ridgewood Country Club on May 11. The Lady Volunteers finished the day in fourth place, posting a team score of 2-over-par 282.
This performance positions Tennessee within reach of advancing to the NCAA Championship, as only the top five teams after three rounds will move forward. SMU currently leads the standings by three strokes, being the only team to record an under-par round with a score of 3-under-par 277.
Kyra Van Kan delivered her best opening round of the season and is tied for first individually after shooting a 4-under-par 66. Van Kan recorded seven birdies, more than any other player in Monday’s field of sixty-five golfers. Sophie Christopher contributed an even-par round of seventy, highlighted by a bogey-free back nine and two late birdies, placing her tied for ninth going into Tuesday’s second round.
Freshman Madison Messimer made her NCAA Regional debut with a steady performance despite encountering trouble on hole number three that resulted in a triple bogey; she finished at one-over-par seventy-one and is tied for twelfth place. Kaopan Thapasit and Manassanan Chotikabhukkana each posted rounds of five-over-par seventy-five, both recording one birdie and six bogeys to tie for forty-fourth position.
Round two is scheduled for Tuesday morning, with Tennessee set to begin play from hole ten starting at nine o’clock Eastern Standard Time. Team standings after day one see SMU leading, followed by Texas A&M and Oregon tied for second at even par.
