SINGAPORE – The Singapore Ladies Masters is set to tee off at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club from June 14 to 16, marking the return of the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) Tour to the Republic.
It is the sixth leg of this season’s CLPGA Tour and boasts a prize purse of US$100,000 (S$135,000), with US$15,000 for the winner.
Singapore’s Shannon Tan, while still an amateur, won the inaugural edition in July 2023. The 19-year-old later turned professional in January and a month later, became the country’s first winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET) when she triumphed at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
It is unclear if the world No. 202, who is competing in this week’s NSW Women’s Open in Australia, will be at Laguna’s Masters course but tournament organiser Lyn Yeo is optimistic Tan will be part of the 132-player field.
She said on March 28: “Shannon is currently working on adjusting her overseas schedule so that she can return home to defend her Singapore Ladies Masters title. We are hopeful local fans will get that opportunity to see her in action again at the Laguna in June.”
There are no clashing LET tournaments during the Singapore Ladies Masters week and as a CLPGA event, it offers Women’s World Golf Ranking points, which are also critical to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Tan is in the 48th spot of the Olympic Golf Rankings, with the top 60 earning a spot for Paris 2024. The qualification cut-off date is June 24.
Aside from Tan, 13-year-old Singaporean Sydnie Ng will be one to watch. In July 2023, she won the Future Champions Golf (FCG) World Championship in California. Past winners include Thai stars Ariya Jutanugarn and Patty Tavatanakit as well as Japan’s 2021 US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso.
Yeo added: “I’m excited to give our local girls another opportunity to test themselves and unleash their full potential against some of the best players from China and the region.”
Other notable CLPGA golfers, including Ji Yuai and Sui Xiang, who finished third and fourth in the Tour’s overall points standings in 2023, have also confirmed their participation in the 54-hole event. Ji was runner-up to Tan by one shot in 2023.
