Shannon Tan makes Women’s British Open cut to become only the 2nd Singaporean to do so at a golf Major

SINGAPORE – Battling the blustery winds in Scotland, Singapore golfer Shannon Tan knew she had to stay patient if she were to advance at the Women’s British Open.

That was exactly what she did on Aug 23, when she carded a three-under 69, which not only helped her make the cut at St Andrews, but also create history.

Mixing five birdies against two bogeys in the second round, the 20-year-old placed joint-21st on even-par 144 – four shots above the cut line. In the process, she became the first Singaporean to make the cut at a Major since Lam Chih Bing in 2008.

She was eight shots behind second-round leader and world No. 1 Nelly Korda (68) and five behind second-placed Lilia Vu (70) and Charley Hull (72).

In the third round, she had three birdies but also seven bogeys, including six on the back nine, for a 76 and four-over total of 220.

Among the big names who missed the cut were third-ranked Ko Jin-young on 10-over 154, world No. 5 Hannah Green and 11th-ranked Yuka Saso (both 151).

Tan said: “Making my first cut at a Major is a milestone in my career and to be doing it at St Andrews, the home of golf, makes it extra special. Competing in a major championship, and among the best in the world, has been a goal for this year and to achieve that here is incredible.”

She had tried to draw on her experiences at last week’s Women’s Scottish Open, adding: “The conditions have been challenging so staying patient and also being able to adapt to the conditions quickly and practising different shots which I probably won’t need at other courses is important.”

With the gusts of wind posing challenging conditions, the world No. 167 said: “We were joking about experiencing four seasons a day during the practice rounds.

“What helped me navigate the conditions was staying adaptable and making the right decision with club selection and shot placement, playing more controlled shots and knowing which pins to attack and when to be more conservative.”

Tan has had a sensational season, clinching the Magical Kenya Ladies Open on her Ladies European Tour debut in February.

She then became the country’s first representative at a women’s Major at the Evian Championship in July and also became its first golfer to play at the recent Olympics.

Both events taught her a lot about handling pressure and staying calm even when things might not be going her way, she said.

Lam, who placed 83rd in the 156-strong field at the 2008 British Open, was the only Singaporean to have made the cut at a Major.

When contacted, he praised Tan for her achievements, saying: “Exciting of course to have a Singaporean flying the flag at a Major. Along the grandstands, there are flags of all the participants in the field and it’s always cool to see a Singaporean flag up there.

“Making it at St Andrews makes it even more special, it’s my favourite course to play in the world. Making the cut is obviously an achievement but Shannon is in a good position to finish high up on the leaderboard.”

Asked if he has any advice for her, Lam said: “For St Andrews, it’s always to keep it out of the bunkers but (it) really depends on the wind conditions. I would say to keep being aggressive and the usual cliche of (taking) one shot at a time.

“But whatever it is, at her age, this is a wonderful learning opportunity and I’m sure whatever position she ends up in this week, the experience gained will be invaluable to her advancing her career.”

Lam, 47, believes the future of Singapore golf is bright, with Hiroshi Tai’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship win in May also qualifying him for the US Open and 2025 Masters.

He said: “Now we have Hiroshi at Augusta next year, and Shannon should be a fixture at the Major championships for years to come.”