Kary Hollenbaugh, a 22-year-old Epson Tour rookie, won for the first time as a professional at the El Dorado Shootout in El Dorado, Arkansas.
Hollenbaugh came into the final round two strokes back of veteran Kate Smith-Stroh, and didn’t have a great start to the round with two bogeys to go along with two birdies on the first 13 holes of the day. Hollenbaugh found an extra gear though on the finishing stretch. Facing a large deficit, Hollenbaugh made four birdies in her final five holes to rally back and force a playoff with Smith-Stroh and Juniper Jang.
Juniper Jang was eliminated on the first playoff hole with a par while Hollenbaugh and Smith-Stroh made birdie. On the second playoff hole, Smith-Stroh made birdie, but it wasn’t enough as Hollenbaugh made an eagle. Hollenbaugh went -7 on her final seven holes played of the day. That is incredible when contrasted with her -6 overall regulation score.
Hollenbaugh played her college golf at Ohio State, but struggled with some injuries in her senior season that kept her held out of many events, including the National Championships. She was on the winning United States Curtis Cup team in 2026, but played in only two of the five sessions. While she played in just the two sessions, she did provide a Sunday singles point.
This was just Hollenbaugh’s eighth start on the Epson Tour, but she has found some quick success. She had three top-10 finishes and has now jumped to No. 19 in the Race for the Card standings. Heading into the final event of the season, the Epson Tour Championship, she is just four slots outside of qualification for her LPGA Tour card.
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