University of Tennessee Athletics
Monday, October 19
Granbury, Texas
University of Tennessee
vs
Abilene Christian Intercollegiate - Round 1
PREVIEW: #14 Lady Vols Head to Texas for Abilene Christian Intercollegiate
October 18, 2026 | Women's Golf
One Fall tournament remains for No. 14 Tennessee women's golf as the Lady Vols make the trek to the Lone Star State for the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate.
The three-day tournament will begin with round one on Monday, Oct. 19, spanning through the third and final round on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Considered one of the premier events of the Fall, all three rounds are set to broadcast live on the Golf Channel, beginning at 4 p.m. ET each day.
Halbert National Golf Course in Granbury, Texas, will host the event. Located on 170 acres along Lake Granbury, the Tom Fazio designed course is one of the most exclusive in the country. The Abilene Christian Intercollegiate will be the first-ever official tournament contested at the one-of-a-kind venue.
The first-ever edition of the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate offers an enticing nine-team field featuring five squads ranked in the top 30 of the first Clippd/Scoreboard national rankings of the season, revealed on Wednesday afternoon.
Tennessee came in at No. 14 in the initial rankings, while Oregon headlines the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate field at No. 6. Individually, two Lady Vols placed within the top 35 of the national player rankings: Madison Messimer (No. 14) and Sophie Christopher (No. 32).
Tennessee capped a strong start to the 2026-27 season with a victory at the team's annual home tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, last time out. The Lady Vols closed the event at 21-under-par, good enough for an 11-stroke victory across the 15-team field at Cherokee Country Club. It was the team's second consecutive win in the event after emerging victorious in 2025.
With the first victory of the season, Tennessee has now won five tournaments under sixth-year head coach Diana Cantú. The opening four wins of her tenure all came in the 2025-26 season, a single-season program record.
Tennessee Lineup
Madison Messimer
Messimer headlines the Tennessee lineup after claiming the second individual victory of her collegiate career at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The First Team All-SEC selection matched the 54-hole tournament record at 12-under-par to tie for the individual title and lead the Lady Vols to a team victory. Messimer owns a team-best 70.33 scoring average through three events this season.
Sophie Christopher
After a meteoric rise in the Spring, Christopher has been consistently near the top for Tennessee this Fall. The junior has posted three consecutive top-eight finishes to open the season, including a runner-up placement at the Cougar Classic. Christopher fired three consecutive rounds of par or better at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate to close in eighth place at 4-under-par.
Kyra Van Kan
A Third Team All-American as a sophomore in 2025-26, Van Kan earned her first top-10 finish of the season at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The junior closed in ninth place at 2-under-par, fueled by a 5-under-par 66 in round two. Van Kan set single-season program records in scoring average (71.00) and rounds of par or better (21) in the 2025-26 season.
Sofie Engesæth
Another consistent presence to begin the season, Engesæth has placed in the top 25 of all three Fall tournaments for Tennessee thus far. The senior tied for 19th place at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate to help the Lady Vols to the team title, including a 3-under-par 68 in round two. Engesæth has tallied a 72.44 scoring average through nine rounds this Fall.
Martina Lopez-Lanchares
Lopez-Lanchares returns to the Tennessee lineup after notching a top-25 finish competing as an individual at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The senior notched three consecutive rounds of 72 or better, tying for 24th place at 2-over-par.
The Field
Host: Abilene Christian (119)
Arizona (34)
Arizona State (18)
Baylor (30)
Cincinnati (112)
Louisville (54)
Oregon (6)
Purdue (23)
Tennessee (14)
Rankings via Clippd
The three-day tournament will begin with round one on Monday, Oct. 19, spanning through the third and final round on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Considered one of the premier events of the Fall, all three rounds are set to broadcast live on the Golf Channel, beginning at 4 p.m. ET each day.
Halbert National Golf Course in Granbury, Texas, will host the event. Located on 170 acres along Lake Granbury, the Tom Fazio designed course is one of the most exclusive in the country. The Abilene Christian Intercollegiate will be the first-ever official tournament contested at the one-of-a-kind venue.
The first-ever edition of the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate offers an enticing nine-team field featuring five squads ranked in the top 30 of the first Clippd/Scoreboard national rankings of the season, revealed on Wednesday afternoon.
Tennessee came in at No. 14 in the initial rankings, while Oregon headlines the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate field at No. 6. Individually, two Lady Vols placed within the top 35 of the national player rankings: Madison Messimer (No. 14) and Sophie Christopher (No. 32).
Tennessee capped a strong start to the 2026-27 season with a victory at the team's annual home tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, last time out. The Lady Vols closed the event at 21-under-par, good enough for an 11-stroke victory across the 15-team field at Cherokee Country Club. It was the team's second consecutive win in the event after emerging victorious in 2025.
With the first victory of the season, Tennessee has now won five tournaments under sixth-year head coach Diana Cantú. The opening four wins of her tenure all came in the 2025-26 season, a single-season program record.
Tennessee Lineup
Madison Messimer
Messimer headlines the Tennessee lineup after claiming the second individual victory of her collegiate career at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The First Team All-SEC selection matched the 54-hole tournament record at 12-under-par to tie for the individual title and lead the Lady Vols to a team victory. Messimer owns a team-best 70.33 scoring average through three events this season.
Sophie Christopher
After a meteoric rise in the Spring, Christopher has been consistently near the top for Tennessee this Fall. The junior has posted three consecutive top-eight finishes to open the season, including a runner-up placement at the Cougar Classic. Christopher fired three consecutive rounds of par or better at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate to close in eighth place at 4-under-par.
Kyra Van Kan
A Third Team All-American as a sophomore in 2025-26, Van Kan earned her first top-10 finish of the season at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The junior closed in ninth place at 2-under-par, fueled by a 5-under-par 66 in round two. Van Kan set single-season program records in scoring average (71.00) and rounds of par or better (21) in the 2025-26 season.
Sofie Engesæth
Another consistent presence to begin the season, Engesæth has placed in the top 25 of all three Fall tournaments for Tennessee thus far. The senior tied for 19th place at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate to help the Lady Vols to the team title, including a 3-under-par 68 in round two. Engesæth has tallied a 72.44 scoring average through nine rounds this Fall.
Martina Lopez-Lanchares
Lopez-Lanchares returns to the Tennessee lineup after notching a top-25 finish competing as an individual at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The senior notched three consecutive rounds of 72 or better, tying for 24th place at 2-over-par.
The Field
Host: Abilene Christian (119)
Arizona (34)
Arizona State (18)
Baylor (30)
Cincinnati (112)
Louisville (54)
Oregon (6)
Purdue (23)
Tennessee (14)
Rankings via Clippd
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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