Singapore golfer Shannon Tan stays cool ahead of Major debut at Evian Championship

SINGAPORE – Six months into what has been a groundbreaking season for Shannon Tan, the Singaporean golfer will face the biggest test of her career this week when she makes her Major debut at the Evian Championship.

The 20-year-old, who is the first female golfer from the Republic to play at a Major, will find herself up against the world’s best at the Evian Resort Golf Club from July 11 to 14.

However, this cool customer is unfazed by the occasion and plans to approach the competition, which is co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and LPGA Tour, like any other tournament.

Tan, who made her debut on the LET in February, said: “I’m just going to treat it like a normal round of golf. I’ll take it one shot at a time and try not to get too far ahead of myself.”

Located in the French Alps and set against the backdrop of Lake Geneva, the Evian Golf Resort will host 18 of the world’s top 20 players, including world No. 1 Nelly Korda.

Local favourite Celine Boutier will be returning to defend her crown at the US$8 million (S$10.8 million) event, while this season’s Major winners Korda (Chevron Championship), Yuka Saso (US Women’s Open) and Amy Yang (Women’s PGA Championship) will also be in the mix.

While this is the strongest field that Tan has played in, she is familiar with names like world No. 9 Charley Hull, six-time LPGA winner Danielle Kang and 13th-ranked Kim Hyo-joo – who won the 2014 Evian Championship – after teeing off alongside them at other tournaments.

The world No. 174 is not giving herself too much pressure ahead of the Major, where the cut is set at the top 70 players and ties.

She said: “It’s my Major debut but, at the end of the day, it’s like a normal event. I’m just going to give it my best shot, like how I’ve done for all my other events.

“There are definitely better players, but I can’t control what they do... and if I just control the controllables, do what I can do and give it my best shot, I will be quite happy with myself.”

Ahead of the event, Tan skipped the Swiss Ladies Open to work on her bunker play and fine-tune her swing and putting, before competing in the Aramco Team Series London, where she finished joint-20th.

She will be banking on her experience playing at the Evian Golf Resort during the Jabra Ladies Open in May, when she placed joint-54th, although she noted that the conditions may be different – such as faster greens – this week.

Her five-month stint on the LET will also come in handy, as she has had a sensational season since turning professional in January, and winning in her LET debut at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open a month later.

After making her maiden Major appearance this week, Tan will notch another historic milestone in Paris in July when she becomes the first Singaporean golfer to play at the Olympics.

Her achievements are one of the highlights of a historic year for Singapore golf, with Hiroshi Tai also making his Major debut at the US Open in June after winning the individual title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship the month before.

His collegiate feat, which was a first for any Singaporean, also qualified him for the 2025 Masters, putting him alongside local stalwarts Mardan Marmat – who featured at the 1997, 2005 and 2012 British Opens – and Lam Chih Bing, who is the only Singaporean to have made the cut at a Major after placing 83rd at the 2008 British Open.

Tai believes that Tan’s experience bodes well for her, and encouraged her to enjoy the experience. He said: “She’s played a lot of big events as an amateur representing Singapore and in the US at Texas Tech (University), so I’m sure she is comfortable on the big stage.

“I hope she is able to enjoy the full experience in France and it is awesome to have a Singaporean golfer in the field. It is great to have more of us play in bigger events and, hopefully, we can continue to do so.”