The Sally celebrated its 100-year anniversary this week at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Tournament organizers will now have to rewrite the record book.
Amelie Zalsman, a 17-year-old Wake Forest commit from St. Petersburg, Florida, held off two-time defending champion Kary Hollenbaugh to win the South Atlantic Women’s Amateur by two shots at 15 under, two strokes better than Jessica Korda’s 72-hole mark in relation to par.
Korda shot 13 under to win the 2010 Sally.
“The greens were very fast, so I thought it was very demanding, especially today,” Zalsman said. “It was pretty windy, so I thought it definitely played a lot tougher than a couple of the other days out there.
“Just tried to stay focused today and ended up coming out on top.”
Zalsman, ranked 11th in the AJGA rankings, began Saturday’s final round tied with another high-schooler, Duke signee Mia Hammond, at 15 under before Hammond carded a 4-over 40 on the front nine and eventually closed in 76 to end up third.
Hollenbaugh, an Ohio State senior who was trying to join Virginia Van Wie and Tish Preuss as the only players to win three consecutive Sallys, started slow as well, recording four bogeys in an outward 39. Zalsman was flawless on the front and led Hammond by five at the turn, Hollenbaugh by seven.
But Hollenbaugh came storming back with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch starting at No. 11. But she couldn’t take advantage of Zalsman’s closing bogey, also bogeying the par-4 18th to shoot 71.
“I think I was in my head a little bit early, trying too hard,” Hollenbaugh told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “Then I freed myself up a little and kinda gave a run for it. I’m definitely proud of myself for the run I made.”