S’pore’s Shannon Tan crosses million-dollar mark in earnings after joint-44th at Wistron Ladies Open

SINGAPORE – Even as heavy rain and fog brought uncertainty to the Wistron Ladies Open in Taiwan, it did not stop Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan from reaching her latest milestone as she surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings with a joint-44th finish on Oct 26.

She told The Straits Times: “It’s definitely a special milestone and something I’m really grateful for. To think it’s been less than two years since I turned professional makes it even more meaningful.

“Honestly, I try not to think too much about earnings and I didn’t even know the total until this interview. But I think it reflects the consistency and hard work that’s gone in behind the scenes, not just from me, but from everyone... who’s supported me.”

Heading into the tournament, the 21-year-old’s total career earnings stood at $998,340, which meant that making the cut at the Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan City would have pushed her past the threshold.

But, with the event reduced from 72 holes to 36 and no cut owing to the weather, local favourite Tseng Ya-ni rolled back the years to card a 67 for a 14-under 130 to secure a four-stroke victory.

Tan (71) also did enough to become a million-dollar athlete by finishing joint-44th out of 106 players with a two-under 142 and earning €4,351 (S$6,565) in the process.

With that, the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit leader joined an exclusive group of Singaporean athletes.

Fellow golfer Mardan Mamat, the first Singaporean to triumph on the Asian and European Tours, reached the milestone in 2004 when he was 36, following a decade of success on the regional circuit.

He followed in the footsteps of football legend Fandi Ahmad, who became Singapore’s first sports millionaire in 1992, through stints in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Netherlands and at home.

Mardan, 57, paid tribute to Tan, and noted that playing abroad contributed to her success.

“I remember telling her one day at the Warren Golf and Country Club driving range, before the Covid-19 pandemic, that if she wants to play a higher level of golf, she cannot stay in Singapore. She did what she needed to do and I’m very happy for her.

“She has a good opportunity to win the LET Order of Merit and I hope she does it. Hopefully, the local youngsters now have a bit of motivation because of what she’s achieved for Singapore golf.”

Singapore Golf Association chief executive officer Joshua Ho added: “Shannon has been a tremendous ambassador for Singapore golf, and the golf community is proud of her success on the global stage. 

“She achieved a milestone as Singapore’s first golfer to qualify for the Olympics in 2024 and is now leading the LET Order Of Merit. Her accomplishments will undoubtedly inspire young aspiring golfers and encourage more Singaporeans to take up the game.”

Other athletes to have crossed the mark include Schooling, whose 100m butterfly triumph at the 2016 Rio Olympics earned him $1 million from the Major Games Award Programme. The programme is an incentive scheme to reward medallists in the SEA, Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games.

Similarly, table tennis players Feng Tianwei and Li Jiawei also surpassed the $1 million mark from their exploits at major Games and international circuit.

Para-swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, who has seven golds at the Paralympic Games, has earned over $2 million from her feats at major Games through the Athletes Achievement Awards, which is managed by the Singapore National Paralympic Council.

For Tan, this achievement underlines her rapid progress since turning professional in January 2024.

She made an immediate impact, finishing second in her first tournament, the Webex Players Series’ Murray River event in New South Wales, a mixed-field event on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the main professional golf tour in Australia and New Zealand.

There, she earned her first pay cheque of A$25,000 (S$21,380). Before making her LET debut, she played one more event in Australia, the Vic Open, where she finished eighth and pocketed A$11,529.

She then wasted no time on the LET, claiming the title in her first event – the Magical Kenya Ladies Open – along with the winner’s cheque of €45,000.

While she did not win again in 2024, four other top-10 finishes helped her end the year sixth in the Order of Merit, the season-long rankings to determine the No. 1 player on the circuit, with €191,807 in prize money from LET tournaments.

Tan has been even more impressive in 2025.

She found herself in the winner’s circle twice, after victories at the Indian Open and the German Masters, along with six other top-10 finishes to surge to the top of the ranking.

She also achieved the best finish by a Singaporean at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, a US LPGA Tour event, in March, placing tied-34th and pocketing US$15,555 (S$20,200) in the process.

While she never set out to chase history, she is happy to be a role model.

Tan said: “I just wanted to play my best golf.

“But if my journey can inspire more young Singaporeans, especially girls, to pick up the game and believe in themselves, then that’s something I’m really proud of.”

These two seasons have also been a time of self-discovery, as she learnt to manage her schedule better to avoid burnout.

The world No. 91 added: “When I first turned pro, my goal was just to learn and get better every week. I definitely didn’t expect things to happen this quickly.

“My focus was always on improving and adapting to life on tour.

“Looking back now, I’m really proud of how much I’ve grown, both on and off the course.

“I feel much better this year. Last season was a big learning curve, it was my first full year on tour and I was still figuring out how to manage my schedule and recovery.

“This year, I’ve been more intentional about taking care of my body and mind, and it’s made a big difference.

“I’ve learnt that rest is just as important as practice, even though my hands do get itchy on days off.”