Ong, Hollenbaugh Shed Buckeye Allegiances at Curtis Cup

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The Ohio State University has had a long and historic athletic tradition of excellence. Football, alone, has produced nine national championships. Women’s ice hockey has claimed a pair of NCAA titles (2022, 2024). Men’s basketball (1960), baseball (1966) and men’s golf (1945, 1979) are also among the programs that have garnered the school’s 32 NCAA team titles.

Women’s golf isn’t on that list, yet the program can boast of a major champion in Meg Mallon and veteran United States Solheim Cupper (Rosie Jones). And, of course, 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus is the most famous Buckeye golfer of all-time.

Two more Buckeyes will make  history this week in the 44th Curtis Cup Match at Bel-Air Country Club, but on opposite sides. Kary Hollenbaugh, of New Albany, Ohio, who just graduated after a four-year career, is representing the USA, while rising junior Nellie Ong, of England, is competing for Great Britain & Ireland.

This isn’t something new for the biennial competition. Traditional women’s golf powers and NCAA titlists Arizona State, UCLA and Wake Forest have all been in this situation. Ohio State is the new kid on the block.

“It’s exciting,” said Ong. “Our coach (Lisa Strom) is super, super excited. Like she got us both ball markers for the Curtis Cup. We’re both super proud to represent Ohio State. It shows how good of a program we have got the last few years.”

Added Hollenbaugh: “Our team is definitely trending in the right direction. Just being able to be a part of a growing [program] is really cool.”

College Teammates to Play Against Each Other in Same Curtis Cup

Both golfers played a key role in getting Ohio State through the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional and to the recent NCAA Division I Women’s National Championships held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, in Carlsbad, Calif. Just before the team arrived in California, each received an important phone call from their respective golf organizations. Hollenbaugh was first to hear the good news from the USGA that she was on the eight-woman team. A few days later, The R&A contacted Ong.

Each shared the moment together, although they knew their friendship would be put on hold this week. The two teams haven’t mingled much since arriving at Bel-Air Country Club. Ong, in fact, competed in last week’s U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at nearby Riviera Country Club; Hollenbaugh qualified for last year’s event at Erin Hills.

Nevertheless, there has been some playful banter and trash-talking.

“We always make fun of Nellie saying that America is the best country in the world,” said Hollenbaugh, the daughter of New Albany Country Club head professional Paul Hollenbaugh. “That’s always been a thing, even before we were selected to the team. I know we were both happy with each other that we both made it here. It was definitely a goal for both of us.

“Keep it civil and enjoy it.”

That doesn’t mean their college-golf-playing boyfriends don’t have a wager. Ong’s boyfriend, Jacob Tarkany, plays at Butler University, and Hollenbaugh’s beau, Joe Wilson IV, is a fifth-year senior at Ohio State.

Both players laughed at any friendly wager between the two guys, although Tarkany is an American from Scottsdale, Ariz., so allegiances could be complicated.

No matter the outcome, both women are relishing every moment and there have been plenty of back-and-forth texts in the lead-up.

Ong, who is No. 59 in the latest Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®, shared runner-up honors with USC’s Bailey Shoemaker in the Big Ten Championship, two strokes back of Trojan/two-time USA Curtis Cupper Jasmine Koo. The 19-year-old also tied for fifth individually in last fall’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore.

She chose to attend Ohio State because she loved the coach, facilities and the athletic environment.

Hollenbaugh, No. 23 in the WAGR®, was the runner-up in the 2026 South-Atlantic Ladies Amateur (The Sally) and reached the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes, and Women’s Western Amateur. As an OSU junior, she was the runner-up in the Big Ten Championship. After the Curtis Cup, the 21-year-old is planning to turn professional and play Epson Tour events until LPGA Tour Qualifying School in the fall.

Of course, the big question remains: Will they be paired in Sunday’s singles session? That’s never happened in the six previous Curtis Cups where college teammates have competed on opposite sides.

Both would relish the matchup. If the captains’ lineup cards somehow align right, it could happen.

“Coach [Strom] is definitely manifesting it,” said Ong, knowing that is something that can’t be prearranged. “We’ll see.”

Notable

• The caddie draw for the two teams was held on Sunday night at Bel-Air Country Club, and longtime looper Greg Puga wound up landing the USA’s Kiara Romero, the world’s top-ranked amateur coming off a tie for sixth in the U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally. Puga is not just a caddie, but also a highly competitive player. In 2000, he won the U.S. Mid-Amateur at The Homestead to earn an invitation to the 2001 Masters. He’s also caddied on the LPGA Tour for Southern California natives Lizette Salas and Ryann O’Toole.
  
  
• Speaking of college teammates, the USA’s Farah O’Keefe will have Great Britain & Ireland’s Isla McDonald-O’Brien at the University of Texas in the fall. She is transferring from Arizona State.
  
  
• A number of Curtis Cup alums will be on site this week, including seven-time USGA champion Carol Semple Thompson, who competed in a record 12 Curtis Cups and captained the 2006 and 2008 teams to victory at Pacific Dunes and the Old Course at St. Andrews in 2006 and 2008, respectively. Many of those past Curtis Cup competitors will play Bel-Air on Thursday.
  
  
• Former Curtis Cup competitor and Stanford University graduate Rachel Heck (2021, 2022) designed a lithograph for this year’s Match. They were distributed to media attending the three-day competition.

David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.