University of Tennessee Athletics
Monday, February 2
Boca Raton, FL
University of Tennessee
at
FAU Paradise Invitational - Round 1
Photo by: Peyton Collimore/Tennessee Athletics
Preview: #24/25 Lady Vols Set to Open Spring at FAU Paradise Invitational
January 31, 2026 | Women's Golf
The No. 24/25 Tennessee women's golf team begins its spring slate on Monday morning at the Florida Atlantic Paradise Invitational, sponsored by CIEE Golf is Global.
The three-day event is set to take place Feb. 2-4, with teams completing 18 holes on each day of competition. Tee times are scheduled to begin from hole No. 1 at 10 a.m. EST.
The tournament is being contested at Osprey Point Golf Course in Boca Raton, Florida, which is a par-72 that will play at 6,204 yards.
The 2026 Paradise Invitational marks the eighth annual edition of the tournament, hosted by Florida Atlantic each year. In the Lady Vols' only appearance in the event, Tennessee claimed the team title in 2019 at Osprey Point Golf Course, marking a dominant 41-stroke victory atop a seven-team field at 17-under-par.
This week's tournament marks the first of five spring events the Lady Vols will compete in ahead of the SEC Championships, Apr. 17-21 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. Tennessee will return to the sunshine state for the Moon Golf Invitational, Feb. 15-17, before heading to Alabama for the Chris Banister Golf Classic, set for Mar. 8-10. The Lady Vols will then compete in the Clemson Invitational, Mar. 27-29, before wrapping up regular season play at the Veritex Bank Collegiate in Dallas, Apr. 6-7.
LADY VOLS' LINEUP
Madison Messimer
The freshman headlines the Lady Vols' lineup after a prolific fall season that saw her earn three top-ten finishes thanks to three 54-hole scores under par. The highlight of Messimer's opening collegiate semester was a third-place finish at the Canadian Collegiate, where she shot 5-under-par in the shortened 36-hole event. Heading into the Spring, Messimer holds Tennessee's highest Scoreboard individual national ranking at No. 52.
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
Chotikabhukkana joins Messimer to complete a duo of Lady Vols in the top 100 of Scoreboard's individual rankings, with the senior checking in at No. 97. The Thailand native earned her best finish of the fall in Tennessee's home event, the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, where she claimed a third-place finish at 4-under-par. Chotikabhukkana closed the fall with another top-20 finish, ending in 20th place among a field of 100 at the Stanford Intercollegiate thanks to a 1-under-par performance.
Sophie Christopher
Christopher is set to make just her second appearance in the Lady Vols' lineup this season. The sophomore recorded a countable score in the final two rounds of the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate as she placed 27th among the field of 78. Christopher also made an individual appearance at the Evie Odom Invitational last fall, where she closed in 22nd place for her highest leaderboard finish of the season.
Kyra Van Kan
Van Kan will be looking to replicate her strong start to the fall as she opens the spring this week. In the Lady-Vols' opening event of the 2025-2026 season, the Cougar Classic, the sophomore tallied the second-best finish of her collegiate career, placing fifth in a field of 96 at 6-under-par. Van Kan also competed in Tennessee's team lineup at the Canadian Collegiate, placing 23rd, before closing the fall slate with an individual appearance at the Evie Odom Invitational.
Martina Lopez-Lanchares
Lopez-Lanchares competed in three events for the Lady Vols last fall, highlighted by a 2-over-par at the Canadian Collegiate to place 19th among a field of 66. At the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, the junior notched two counting scores to help Tennessee claim a team victory in the home event. She wrapped up the fall by competing individually at the Evie Odom Invitational, placing 26th among the field of 72.
Kaopan Thapasit (i)
Another freshman that impressed in her opening semester on Rocky Top, Thapasit will compete as an individual at the Paradise Invitational. The Thailand native appeared in all four team events for the Lady Vols, highlighted by the first top-ten placement of her career at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, where Thapasit finished in ninth at 2-under-par.
Participating Teams:
Cincinnati (107)
Clemson (40)
Colorado State (132)
Denver (93)
Florida Atlantic (105)
Florida International (119)
Georgia (62)
Indiana (36)
Kentucky (30)
Mercer (87)
Notre Dame (81)
Oklahoma (25)
Rutgers (83)
Tennessee (24)
Texas Tech (48)
Tulane (106)
Rankings via scoreboard
The three-day event is set to take place Feb. 2-4, with teams completing 18 holes on each day of competition. Tee times are scheduled to begin from hole No. 1 at 10 a.m. EST.
The tournament is being contested at Osprey Point Golf Course in Boca Raton, Florida, which is a par-72 that will play at 6,204 yards.
The 2026 Paradise Invitational marks the eighth annual edition of the tournament, hosted by Florida Atlantic each year. In the Lady Vols' only appearance in the event, Tennessee claimed the team title in 2019 at Osprey Point Golf Course, marking a dominant 41-stroke victory atop a seven-team field at 17-under-par.
This week's tournament marks the first of five spring events the Lady Vols will compete in ahead of the SEC Championships, Apr. 17-21 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. Tennessee will return to the sunshine state for the Moon Golf Invitational, Feb. 15-17, before heading to Alabama for the Chris Banister Golf Classic, set for Mar. 8-10. The Lady Vols will then compete in the Clemson Invitational, Mar. 27-29, before wrapping up regular season play at the Veritex Bank Collegiate in Dallas, Apr. 6-7.
LADY VOLS' LINEUP
Madison Messimer
The freshman headlines the Lady Vols' lineup after a prolific fall season that saw her earn three top-ten finishes thanks to three 54-hole scores under par. The highlight of Messimer's opening collegiate semester was a third-place finish at the Canadian Collegiate, where she shot 5-under-par in the shortened 36-hole event. Heading into the Spring, Messimer holds Tennessee's highest Scoreboard individual national ranking at No. 52.
Manassanan Chotikabhukkana
Chotikabhukkana joins Messimer to complete a duo of Lady Vols in the top 100 of Scoreboard's individual rankings, with the senior checking in at No. 97. The Thailand native earned her best finish of the fall in Tennessee's home event, the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, where she claimed a third-place finish at 4-under-par. Chotikabhukkana closed the fall with another top-20 finish, ending in 20th place among a field of 100 at the Stanford Intercollegiate thanks to a 1-under-par performance.
Sophie Christopher
Christopher is set to make just her second appearance in the Lady Vols' lineup this season. The sophomore recorded a countable score in the final two rounds of the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate as she placed 27th among the field of 78. Christopher also made an individual appearance at the Evie Odom Invitational last fall, where she closed in 22nd place for her highest leaderboard finish of the season.
Kyra Van Kan
Van Kan will be looking to replicate her strong start to the fall as she opens the spring this week. In the Lady-Vols' opening event of the 2025-2026 season, the Cougar Classic, the sophomore tallied the second-best finish of her collegiate career, placing fifth in a field of 96 at 6-under-par. Van Kan also competed in Tennessee's team lineup at the Canadian Collegiate, placing 23rd, before closing the fall slate with an individual appearance at the Evie Odom Invitational.
Martina Lopez-Lanchares
Lopez-Lanchares competed in three events for the Lady Vols last fall, highlighted by a 2-over-par at the Canadian Collegiate to place 19th among a field of 66. At the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, the junior notched two counting scores to help Tennessee claim a team victory in the home event. She wrapped up the fall by competing individually at the Evie Odom Invitational, placing 26th among the field of 72.
Kaopan Thapasit (i)
Another freshman that impressed in her opening semester on Rocky Top, Thapasit will compete as an individual at the Paradise Invitational. The Thailand native appeared in all four team events for the Lady Vols, highlighted by the first top-ten placement of her career at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, where Thapasit finished in ninth at 2-under-par.
Participating Teams:
Cincinnati (107)
Clemson (40)
Colorado State (132)
Denver (93)
Florida Atlantic (105)
Florida International (119)
Georgia (62)
Indiana (36)
Kentucky (30)
Mercer (87)
Notre Dame (81)
Oklahoma (25)
Rutgers (83)
Tennessee (24)
Texas Tech (48)
Tulane (106)
Rankings via scoreboard
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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