Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan gets pro career off to bright start with runner-up finish
At the Webex Players Series’ Murray River event last week, Shannon Tan got a taste of what life as a professional golfer would be like, with crowds and camera crew following the action at the Cobram Barooga Golf Club in Australia.
While she is still getting used to being in the limelight, Tan impressed on the course as she came in second after a final-round six-under 65 on Jan 21.
She was two strokes behind champion Kazuma Kobori of New Zealand (68).
In her first competition as a professional, she carded a 19-under 265 total, two strokes ahead of Kiwi Momoka Kobori (68) and Australians Aaron Wilkin (68) and Andrew Martin (69), who were joint third in the A$250,000 (S$221,600) New South Wales tournament.
The tournament is a mixed-field event on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the main professional golf tour in Australia and New Zealand.
Noting the special experience of being part of a mixed field, she said: “Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at the event – great atmosphere, crowd and a lot of TV cameras around, which is something I’m getting used to.”
The 19-year-old’s campaign, which earned her A$25,000 in prize money, started with opening rounds of 68 and 69 before an impressive 63 in the third round.
“I’m happy to be in contention at my first event as a pro golfer,” said Tan. “I had a solid weekend and a bogey-free final round, but I also know there is a lot to learn.”
This is the first of two events that Tan will be playing in Australia before making her debut on the Ladies European Tour (LET), which begins with the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in February.
She became the first Singaporean to earn an LET card in December and announced her decision to turn professional in January.
She will head to Victoria for the A$840,000 Vic Open from Feb 1-4, where former world No. 1 Shin Ji-yai will defend her title. The Vic Open is also a mixed-field event.
Tan had enjoyed some outstanding outings as an amateur.
They included becoming just the second Singaporean to win on the China Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour when she lifted the Singapore Ladies Masters title at Laguna National Golf Resort Club in July 2023.
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