Katherine Hollern and Caroline Canales earned the final two spots in the field following Monday's local qualifying round.

After 18 holes of intense and windy competition on the notoriously difficult track of Atlantic Beach Country Club, two qualifiers have been determined, filling the final two spots in the field. Up-and-coming professional golfers, Katherine Hollern and Caroline Canales, secured their spots in the Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf. This marks a key new opportunity in 2026, as the Epson Tour introduced local qualifying rounds for select early-season tournaments to provide more access for rising pros.

Colorado’s Hollern earned medalist honors at the qualifier following a 1-under performance that consisted of two birdies and one bogey. She led the 26-player field by one stroke.

“It feels really good, honestly,” said Hollern. “I felt like my game has been trending the last couple of weeks, and I played the NXXT event at Alaqua, and I missed that exemption by one, so I just felt like it was kind of a long time coming.”

Hollern highlighted the value of these added spots: “I think for all of us, it creates a really big opportunity,” said Hollern. “With LPGA's schedule and our schedule, there's a limited field because of daylight, and if you don't get into those first five events, or when you do get into one right before the reshuffle, you feel like you really have a little pressure to make the reshuffles, so this just gives you three more opportunities. Anytime you have one more opportunity, it's awesome. I think that it was a really great thing that the Epson Tour decided to do.”

Caroline Canales matched the demanding conditions with a steady round of mostly pars, carding a lone bogey on the par-3 3rd hole before closing with a birdie on the par-5 18th.

Both players now shift focus to the tournament proper, aiming to advance through at least two more rounds on the difficult course and kick off their 2026 campaigns strongly. This qualifier success underscores the Epson Tour's efforts to open doors for talented competitors right from the season's start.

Two Monday Qualifiers Advance to Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf

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