SINGAPORE – Ahead of her Ladies European Tour (LET) debut at the Feb 8-11 Magical Kenya Ladies Open, teenage Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan told The Straits Times that there were no nerves. 

At the Vipingo Ridge, the 19-year-old went on to prove why she has confidence coursing through her veins.

Having already made history in Kenya by becoming the first Singaporean golfer to compete on the LET, Tan produced one of Singapore golf’s finest moments by staging a remarkable debut victory with a 12-under 280 total at the €300,000 (S$436,000) event.

Italian Alessandra Fanali, who shared the lead with Tan on nine-under 210 after the third round, finished second after a one-over 74 on Feb 11 left her four strokes behind the Singaporean.

Tan, who carded a three-under 70 on the final day to bag the €45,000 top prize, became just the second Singaporean golfer to win a European tour event.

Mardan Mamat was the first in 2006, when he won the Osim Singapore Masters, which was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour.

Speaking to The Straits Times after her historic win, Tan was as calm as she was on the greens and refused to be carried away by the moment. Instead, she focused on how her win would impact others.

Tan said: “I mean I am technically the first female to win on a major tour and I hope that inspires the junior golfers in Singapore and that anything is possible.

“I want to see golf grow in Singapore because I am from there and it would be great to see the sport you love grow bigger and bigger.”

Being in Kenya also meant that Tan had missed out on Chinese New Year festivities for a second year in a row. She said she missed the food, “especially the hotpot dishes” and the “salmon in the yusheng”.

Tan rang her parents and spoke to several family members after her win and said she felt the support of the people back home. In a sign of her desire for improvement, Tan added: “I made some mistakes this week and I feel like I can look back on them and try to get one per cent better every single week. That is my plan.”

Singapore Golf Association president Tan Chong Huat congratulated Shannon on her “remarkable achievement”, adding: “Her triumph marks a significant milestone for Singapore golf.

“The golf community is immensely proud of her achievement and we look forward to witnessing her continued success on the international stage.”

What made Shannon’s victory more exceptional was that it came just weeks after she turned professional in January.

She had to return to Texas Tech University in the United States, where she was on a sports scholarship, to pack her belongings and withdraw from the school before heading to Australia for two tournaments.

She performed creditably, finishing second at the Jan 18-21 Webex Players Series’ Murray River in New South Wales and eighth at the Feb 1-4 Vic Open in Victoria, earning just over A$36,000 (S$31,000). Her latest victory has taken her 2024 earnings to over $96,000.

In the unique Vipingo Ridge course, where there is presence of wildlife such as giraffes just around the roughs, greens and fairways, Shannon put in a composed display to stand heads and shoulders above the rest of the 108-strong field, which included 26 LET winners.

In the end, it was one of the 20 rookies who were making their debuts in Kenya who reigned supreme as Shannon racked up another milestone in her fledgling golf career.

Lyn Yeo, former Singapore Ladies Golf Association president and founder of the Singapore Ladies Masters and Singapore Junior Development Tour, was glued to her television screen alongside her 84-year-old mother watching Shannon in the final round.

Yeo said Shannon’s victory was a massive win for Singapore golf, adding: “I have no words except to say ‘thank you, Shannon’, for making dreams come true.”

Following her victory, Shannon was surrounded by fellow players who doused her in champagne. But when a player handed her the bottle, she turned it down.

She laughed as she explained to ST: “I think I am allergic to champagne because the previous two times that I had it, I broke out in hives. I am more of a beer drinker.”

There will be 30 more events across 20 countries in the 2024 LET season, where the total prize money is more than €34 million.

Following the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, the series will continue with the Feb 15-18 Aramco Saudi Ladies International in Saudi Arabia, before heading to Morocco for the prestigious Lalla Meryem Cup from Feb 22 to 24.

If she keeps up her form on the tour, she will need to get accustomed to the celebratory bubbly.