Ohio State junior and 2024 SALLY champion Kary Hollenbaugh successfully defended her title at the 2025 Women's South Atlantic Amateur Golf Championship at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.
Hollenbaugh finished 5-under with consistent rounds of 71-70-70-72 to win by five shots. She was the lone golfer under par for the tournament.
"The course is always in such great shape, and the runners are always running so fast," Hollenbaugh said. "It always feels like a home event because this is my fourth year, so the staff knows who I am, so they are out there supporting you and rooting you on."
She is currently ranked No. 28 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings.
"It was a lot of good putting and short game that kept me from making the big numbers," Hollenbaugh said about her consistency. "I didn't have many birdies, but I didn't make many bogeys either. It was the short game that kept me consistent throughout the week."
Emma Schimpf of Charleston finished in solo second place at even par, and 2022 champion Gianna Clemente finished in solo third place at 2-over.
First-round leader Kaitlyn Schroeder of North Florida finished in solo fourth place at 3-over, and Karoline Tuttle, who won the Women's Dixie Amateur in December, finished in solo fifth place at 4-over to round out the top five.
Hollenbaugh was named to the All-Big Ten First Team in 2024 and All-Big Ten Second Team in 2023. She recently placed solo third at the Patriot All-America Women's Invitational.
"Over the offseason, I put in a lot of hard work, and it is nice to see that pay off and should give me some more confidence going into the spring season," Hollenbaugh said. "I think we have a good team this year, so I am really excited to see how that pans out."
She added, "Getting good reps in over winter break is great for staying fresh heading into the spring season."
She also made the final 16 at the 2024 Women's Western Amateur, and in addition to winning The SALLY, she also won the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational, which was her next tournament.
The Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Golf Championship (The SALLY) has been hosted by Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Florida, since its beginnings in 1926.
The tournament field consists of the top amateurs in the US, and the top finishers frequently represent the US for the biennial Curtis Cup team. Many former SALLY players are among the LPGA elite.