Katelyn Dambaugh (Goose Creek, S.C.) recently put the finishing touches on one of the greatest careers in South Carolina history.
Wipe the slate clean, her professional career starts next week. The No. 5 ranked amateur in the world (she has already turned pro) will make her Epson Tour debut next week at the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY in Albany.
"I am extremely excited to start this next chapter of my life with professional golf,” said Dambaugh, who finished T50 at the NCAA Championships at Rich Harvest Farms last week. "It will be hard at first and I will have a lot of learning to do, but I am excited to see where this game could take me.”
While Dambaugh joins the Tour a third of the way into the season, she still has time. There are 15 events left in 2017 and she could easily inject herself into the conversation for an LPGA card with big finishes.
"The goal for me is to just feel as comfortable as possible out here,” said Dambaugh. "The beginning will be rocky I'm sure with all of the traveling and playing a lot but I want to gain as much experience out here as possible and maybe hope to get a win or two.”
A win or two early would be plenty to put herself in the mix.
Dambaugh was a Second Team All-American in 2017 and was a First Team All-American in 2016. In April, she won medalist honors at the SEC Championship.
"That was a tournament that I always wanted to grab in my four years,” said Dambaugh. "I'm extremely proud of the leader I was shaped into for my team. I learned a lot from the ones who graduated before me and I'm proud I was able to take what I learned from them and apply it to my leadership.”
Dambaugh has consulted a few people on the professional life including someone that knows it well - 13–time LPGA Tour winner Stacy Lewis.
"I have spoken with a few people about this lifestyle including Stacy Lewis a little bit and she has given me some advice on how to live this life,” said Dambaugh. "They all have said getting acclimated is the key.”
No rest for the weary. A week off for Dambaugh after her brilliant college career came to a close and now the acclimation process begins.
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