SINGAPORE – As Shannon Tan walked off the 18th green at Laguna National Golf Resort Club on Saturday, she was greeted by a shower of water from her friends and family.
Tan had just sunk a 10-foot birdie putt to shoot a stunning six-under 66 to finish the Singapore Ladies Masters at 10-under 206. The 19-year-old, still an amateur and ranked 81st in the world, was at that point leading the US$100,000 (S$135,200) China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) Tour tournament.
Only 18-year-old Ji Yuai, who had one hole to play, could catch her. When the Chinese world No. 654, with two top-10 finishes on the Tour in 2023, missed her own birdie attempt at the par-four last, settling for a 67 and 207 total, Tan had achieved the unthinkable.
She had just finished first in the 132-strong field filled mostly with battle-hardened pros, claiming the biggest victory of her career. She is the second Singaporean to win on the CLPGA. Compatriot Amanda Tan, who closed with a 66 to finish tied-seventh on 214 here, captured the 2017 Beijing Heritage event.
Thai Pakin Kawinpakorn, who held the 36-hole lead, fell to joint-fourth on 211 after a 74. Her compatriot Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (70) was third on 210.
Tan, who did not watch Ji’s decisive putt, was in disbelief afterwards. “Have I really won yet? What if the live leaderboard made a mistake? But if I really won then I would say this is really special,” she told The Straits Times.
“It just hasn’t really sunk in yet. I didn’t know I had to make the birdie putt on the 18th (to win). I approached it like any other normal putt. This win probably validates what I’ve been doing (playing on the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States) and shows I’ve made progress.”
Despite her lack of experience at this level, Tan – who had flown in from America, where she is a freshman at Texas Tech University – had complete trust in her abilities. She had declared, at the pre-tournament press conference, that she believed she could win the Ladies Masters.
That confidence was paired with plenty of grit. Her day began at 7.30am as she had to complete her second round after play was halted on Friday due to inclement weather. She finished her six remaining holes and signed for a 72, which left her three shots behind Pakin.
At noon, Tan began her third round and caught fire as she made the turn. She birdied holes No. 9, 11, 12 and 13 to shoot up the leaderboard at nine under. The turning point then arrived at the par-three 17th island hole. After a wayward approach, she sank her 10-foot par putt to stay at nine-under. Ji, playing in the group behind her, was 10 under but bogeyed the same hole to fall into a tie.
Tan would seize her chance with a birdie on the closing hole. She said: “That three-hole stretch, all my putts went in. I was having really good putting speed today and I hit many fairways and greens (in regulation). I wouldn’t really say I felt pressure as I had no idea where I was at (on the leaderboard) while I was playing. I honestly wasn’t actively trying to make birdies.
“I was just trying to hit as many greens as possible and make all my putts. But if I didn’t, I would just move on. That was my mindset.”
Her father Desmond, 50, an avid golfer who introduced her to the game when she was five, was beaming with pride as he watched her collect a hat-trick of trophies – for low amateur, best Singapore player and the overall winner. As an amateur, she did not receive the US$15,000 winner’s cheque, which went to Ji instead.
Desmond said: “I was hoping this day would come. It was a morale booster for her because in the NCAA she missed a few good opportunities to win. But now she has her first big win and hopefully this gives her momentum heading into her next year in college.
“The main goal for her now is to get onto the LPGA Tour eventually, that is our top priority.”
Founder of tournament organiser LLD Sports Lyn Yeo, who is the former president of the Singapore Ladies Golf Association, said: “I hope people will realise what a huge achievement this is. This is a very strong field. I hope this will inspire many youngsters to show them it’s possible if they have the right support and pathways.”
Besides the LPGA Tour, Tan, who will represent the Asia/Pacific team at the Patsy Hankins Trophy amateur competition in August, has set her sights on competing at the 2028 Olympics.
For now, she is content to have written her name into Singapore golf’s record books. Recalling Mardan Mamat’s historic victory at the 2006 Singapore Masters, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour, Tan said: “Whenever I walk past the (Laguna) clubhouse, I always see his (Mardan’s) picture there. It’s good to know that I won on the same course.”
