FRISCO, Texas – The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed its 2025-26 All-American Scholars on Monday afternoon, and five Tennessee golfers earned recognition.
Sofie Engesaeth, Sophie Christopher, Madison Messimer, Kaopan Thapasit, and Kyra Van Kan were the five Lady Vols to receive the honor. To be selected as a WGCA All-American Scholar, a student athlete must meet the following criteria:
- Have an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher.
- Be an amateur and on the team’s roster through the conclusion of the team’s season.
- Have played in 50% of the college’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year nominated through the team’s conference championship.
Engeseth, a junior in 2025-26, registered two top-10 finishes during the season. Most notably, the Oslo, Norway, native went 3-0 in match play at the 2026 SEC Championship, helping Tennessee capture its first women’s golf conference title in program history. Her standout performance included a clutch birdie on the 18th hole in the semifinals to force a playoff, which she won to secure a pivotal point for the Lady Vols.
Van Kan, a sophomore for the Lady Vols in 2025-26, produced one of the best individual seasons in program history. The Johannesburg, South Africa, native finished the year with the lowest scoring average (71.00) and the most rounds at par or better (21) in a single season in program history. A second-team All-SEC and third-team All-American selection, Van Kan recorded six top-10 finishes during the 2025-26 campaign, including a tie for fifth place at the NCAA Championships, the second-best individual finish at the event in program history.
Christopher, a sophomore in 2025-26, had a season full of growth culminating in the first individual victory of her collegiate career at the Georgia State Invitational in March. The Germantown, Tennessee, native became a mainstay in the Lady Vols’ lineup throughout the spring. At the SEC Championships, she recorded a crucial 6&5 victory in the match play final against Auburn. Christopher closed the season with a 72.77 scoring average and nine rounds of par or better.
Messimer, a freshman for the Lady Vols in 2025-26, became the first Tennessee women’s golfer to be named SEC Freshman of the Year since 2003. Also a Second Team All-SEC honoree and Honorable Mention All-American, she was victorious at the Chris Banister Golf Classic in March and earned individual runner-up honors at the SEC Championships, becoming Tennessee’s highest finisher since 2011. Messimer closed the season with Tennessee’s second-best scoring average (71.11) and second-most rounds of par or better (20) in program history, both narrowly behind Van Kan’s numbers from this season.
Thapasit, another freshman for Tennessee in 2025-26, also impressed in her debut season on Rocky Top. The Thailand native amassed 12 rounds of par or better and a 73.19 scoring average across 12 tournaments this past season. She closed the campaign with two top-10 and five top-25 finishes, tying for ninth place and the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate and finishing in sixth at the Chris Banister Golf Classic.
