University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship
Women's Golf Central: Mercedes Benz Collegiate Championship
October 14, 2023 | Women's Golf
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women's golf will play host to the 26th Annual Mercedes Benz Collegiate Championship at Cherokee Country Club, beginning Sunday, Oct. 15 to Tuesday, Oct. 17. The event is free to the public and will begin at 9:30 am ET on Sunday and Monday, with a 9:15 start on Tuesday.
Founded in 1907, Cherokee is Knoxville's oldest and most prestigious country club. It has played host to this tournament from 2004-07 and 2013-23, as well as the U.S. Open Qualifier, the Tennessee Men's Invitational Golf Tournament and numerous other state amateur events.
It is the Lady Vols' fourth and penultimate tournament of their fall season. They most recently competed in the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they placed 7th of 14 schools, led by senior Kayla Holden's career-best 5th place finish.
The Lady Vols will play two individuals in addition to the starting five named by head coach Diana Cantu.
LADY VOLS LINEUP
Gilly's senior season has already seen both her lowest-ever score relative to par (-8) at the Cougar Classic and her best-ever finish (T-4th) at the Mary Fossum Invitational. At the 2021 Mercedes Benz Collegiate Championship, she golfed a 3-over (216) to place T-16th.
Kayla Holden
Fellow senior Kayla Holden is coming off of the best tournament of her collegiate career. She used a career-low 67 – thanks to eight birdies – in round two of the Tar Heel Invitational to place 5th of 80 participants. Her two rounds under 70 at that tournament matched her collegiate career total up to that point.
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
Chotikabhukkana has returned to solid form after a rocky opening tournament; her last six rounds have netted a 72.33 average score, and she has placed 9th and 12th, respectively, in the last two tournaments.
Martina Lopez-Lanchares
The San Sebastián, Spain, native is making her first appearance in the Lady Vol starting five after making her collegiate debut at Chapel Hill. There, Lopez-Lanchares notched a 29th-place finish thanks to a 69 in round two and a 73 in round three.
Caroline Patterson
Patterson returns to competition this weekend after missing the Tar Heel Invitational. At the Cougar Classic, she used a 70 and 72 in rounds one and three, respectively, to place 64th. In last year's MBCC – her second collegiate competition she carded a 6-over and placed tied for 32nd.
Bailey Davis*
Last season, Bailey Davis had a historic Mercedes Benz Collegiate Championship, posting a 63 in round two, the lowest ever 18-hole score in the tournament's history. She finished the tournament tied for 2nd with a score of 10-under (203).
Angela Arora*
Arora, a sophomore, will be making her first appearance in the Mercedes Benz Collegiate Championship after arriving at Rocky Top in spring 2023. She won her third-ever collegiate competition, notching an 11-under (205) to win the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona.
*competing as an individual
COURSE INFORMATION
Cherokee Country Club -- Par 71 -- 5,965 yards
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring will be provided by Golfstat and can be found here.
TEE TIMES
Sunday, Oct. 15 – Round One
Caroline Patterson – 9:30 a.m. ET (Hole 1)
Martina Lopez-Lanchares – 9:40 a.m. ET (Hole 1)
Vanessa Gilly – 9:50 a.m. ET (Hole 1)
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana – 10:00 a.m. ET (Hole 1)
Kayla Holden – 10:10 a.m. ET (Hole 1)
FOLLOW US
For live updates throughout the match, follow @vol_wgolf on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
