Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan gets sponsor invite to play at HSBC Women’s World Championship

SINGAPORE – Sitting among the silverware on a shelf in Shannon Tan’s room is a Pink Panther soft toy signed by 10-time LPGA Tour winner Paula Creamer.

It is the only plushie she has kept from her childhood, a precious memento from the 2014 HSBC Women’s World Championship, which the American golfer won.

Back then, a 10-year-old Tan had gotten Creamer, who was nicknamed after the cartoon character due to her fondness for wearing pink, to sign the toy after the latter’s third round at the Sentosa Golf Club.

It is one of the many special memories that Tan has of the event, which she first watched as a spectator at the Tanah Merah Country Club when she was six and also volunteered at in 2017.

In 2025, the 20-year-old will be back at the tournament. This time, she is among the field of world-class players, after the organisers announced on Feb 4 that she is one of four golfers to receive a sponsor invite for the Feb 27-March 2 event.

The world No. 142 said: “From all that and then getting an invite to play is a dream come true.

“I’m definitely really excited… That event has always been around me as I grew up watching golf and it was really inspiring.”

The other three invitees are the United States’ six-time LPGA winner Danielle Kang, China’s He Muni and Miranda Wang.

This will be the first time that Singapore will have two representatives at the event since it was first held here in 2008.

Joining Tan is national golfer Chen Xingtong, who will be making her second appearance at the US$2.4 million (S$3.2 million) tournament after booking her spot by winning the national qualifying event in January.

The Singaporean duo will be among a field that includes nine of the world’s top 10 golfers, including New Zealand’s Olympic champion Lydia Ko.

Before the HSBC event at the Sentosa Golf Club, Tan will begin her second season on the Ladies European Tour (LET) with the Feb 6-8 Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. She will then head to Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh for the Aramco Series.

Her first year on the LET saw her finish sixth on the Tour’s Order of Merit, claiming a win on her debut and four other top-10 finishes.

She was also the first Singaporean golfer to compete at the Paris Olympics last August and made the cut at the Women’s British Open, becoming just the second golfer from the Republic to achieve the feat at a Major.

Her achievements have not gone unnoticed back home. Tan recalled how she was asked by strangers if she would be playing at the HSBC tournament when they saw her practising at Sentosa during her off-season.

She is looking forward to competing on home soil for the first time since she won the Singapore Ladies Masters as an amateur in 2023.

Tan said: “It’s also my dream to play on the LPGA and playing against the world’s best at home makes it really special in front of a home crowd as well.

“There are five Major championships but HSBC has always been my Major. It’s one of the events I’ve always wanted to play in, so finally being able to play it at home and in front of family and friends is special.”

HSBC Singapore chief executive Wong Kee Joo believes the presence of two local golfers in the field reflects “the exceptional skills being nurtured in Singapore”.

He added: “We are thrilled to see the growing presence of Singaporean golf on the global stage, with two home-grown talents competing together for the first time in the HSBC Women’s World Championship.

“Through the HSBC Women’s World Championship, we have been dedicated to opening up a world of opportunity for women in sport and supporting the development of golf in Singapore.”