‘Confident and motivated’, Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan makes the cut at Women’s British Open

SINGAPORE – Having to weather the elements and challenging course conditions on tour each week, patience has been key for Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan.

Now in the midst of her second season on the Ladies European Tour (LET), the ability to stay composed and adapt to changing circumstances is a skill that the world No. 100 has picked up and refined from competing with some of Europe and the world’s best at the LET and Majors.

The 21-year-old demonstrated that maturity on Aug 1, bouncing back from a missed cut at the Scottish Open the previous week to make it through to the weekend at the Women’s British Open for the second consecutive year.

At Royal Porthcawl in Wales, she followed up an opening round one-over 73 with an even-par 72 in the second round, finishing with a one-over 145, a stroke below the +2 cut line.

She was tied-35th, 12 shots behind leader Miyu Yamashita (65) from Japan after two rounds at the US$9.75 million (S$12.6 million) tournament.

However, she tumbled down the standings to joint-67th after a third-round six-over 78 to sit at seven-over 223 – no thanks to five bogeys, one double-bogey and a sole birdie.

Reflecting on her progress, Tan said: “I’ve learnt a lot about patience from competing on the LET and in Majors, especially when things aren’t going my way.

“While the ideal plan is always to hit fairways and greens, golf rarely makes (it) that simple. There are always challenging conditions, courses that don’t suit my game, and sometimes just bad breaks.

“In those moments, I’ve come to realise how crucial it is to stick to my game plan and trust that I can bounce back.”

Her round on Aug 1 was a perfect example of that mindset. With five birdies and five bogeys, her performance was far from straightforward, but she managed to finish the round level overall.

Her two-round result showed an improvement in her course management and understanding of how to navigate the conditions at Royal Porthcawl.

Tan cited an example of how on the par-three 15th hole, where she had 163 yards to the pin, she hit a six-iron just 132 yards, far shorter than its usual 164-yard distance. Then, on the 17th, she used the wind to her advantage, hitting her five-iron 240 yards off the tee.

This is Tan’s second Major of 2025, with the Singaporean also playing through the weekend at July’s Evian Championship.

There, she finished tied-59th with a two-over 286 total. Australia’s Grace Kim won the event via a play-off with Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul after both players finished at 14-under 270.

She said: “Making the cut in both of my Major appearances this year means a lot to me... getting through at both events is actually one of the goals I set for myself this year.

“It shows that the hard work I have been putting in is moving me in the right direction. Playing the weekend at the Women’s Open, especially in these tricky conditions, alongside the best in women’s golf, gives me a lot of confidence and motivation to keep pushing forward.”

Tan also made the cut at the Women’s British Open in 2024, becoming only the second Singaporean – and the first woman – to progress to the weekend at a Major, after Lam Chih Bing in 2008.

In 2025, Tan has built on her strong rookie season with some solid results. She picked up her second title on the Ladies European Tour (LET) with a win at the German Masters in June, and she also has four top-10 finishes, missing the cut in only two events.

To help prepare for the Women’s Open, she made a change in her bag after the Scottish Open, adding a new Titleist GT1 three-wood, which is “more forgiving on mishits and launches better off tighter lies”.

Having grown more accustomed to competing at the highest level, Tan feels more comfortable with the different aspects of playing in a Major – such as the crowds, the tougher course set-ups and playing in a stronger field – and she is able to treat it like a regular tournament.

It has also given her a clearer sense of what it takes to succeed in the long term.

She said: “The biggest lesson for me has been realising just how small the margin for error is at this level – the attention to detail is so important, every shot, every decision matters so much more.

“Competing in Majors has really shown me how challenging every aspect of the game becomes at this stage, and how much discipline and focus it takes to succeed.”

For now, she hopes to carry her current form through to the weekend. She said: “In these conditions, level par is actually a really good score, so my focus is on making pars and trying to move up the leaderboard. I want to keep learning and enjoying the experience out here.”