S’pore golfer Shannon Tan registers best finish at a Major with tied-38th finish at Chevron Championship

SINGAPORE – While making her way around the Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston the past week, Shannon Tan was greeted by cheers of “Go Texas Tech” from spectators and volunteers.

Having played collegiate golf with Texas Tech University before turning professional at the start of 2024, the Singaporean was back in a familiar environment as she made her Chevron Championship debut.

Returning to a place that holds fond memories for her, the 22-year-old registered her best finish at a Major, tying for 38th after wrapping up the tournament with an even-par 72 in the final round on April 26.

She mixed three birdies and three bogeys in the closing round to card an even-par 288 total, 18 strokes behind American champion Nelly Korda.

Before that, Tan’s best performance at a Major came at the 2025 Women’s British Open, where she placed joint-40th.

Reflecting on her week, she said: “Finishing 38th was a standout for me. It’s my best finish in a Major so far, so that’s something I’m quite happy with.

“Also, having studied at Texas Tech, it was nice playing in Texas and having some support out there. That made it a bit more special for me.”

The world No. 99 had earned her spot at the Chevron Championship by winning the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit in 2025, which also granted her entry into the June 25-28 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

She will also compete in July’s Evian Championship and the Women’s British Open, the two Majors she contested in 2024 and 2025.

Tan made history at the 2024 Women’s British Open by becoming the first female Singaporean golfer to advance to the weekend at a Major.

In 2025, she made the cut in both the Evian Championship – where she placed tied-59th – and Women’s British Open.

Compared to those two Majors, the biggest difference for Tan in Texas was the course set-up.

She said: “The British Open is more links-style with wind and rain, while Evian plays shorter but has a lot of undulation and slopey greens.

“At Memorial Park, it’s not too demanding off the tee, but it really tests you around the greens. The turtleback greens mean you have to be very aware of your misses as most of the time you’re left with tricky chip shots, often to uphill pins.”

Describing her first Major in the US as a great experience that tested her, Tan believes there are positives to take away from her week in Texas.

She was glad to see the work she put into her short game two weeks before the tournament pay off, noting there are also certain areas she hopes to improve on.

Tan said: “My wedge game from about 50 to 100 metres is one of them, especially controlling spin better. Ball striking is another area I’m continuing to work on as it hasn’t been where I want it to be this year.

“At the same time, I’ll take the positives too. My short game was strong this week and helped me a lot when my ball striking wasn’t at its best, so that’s something I can build on going forward.”