She turned pro five months ago. Now Shannon Tan is going to be Singapore's first Olympic golfer (2024)

SINGAPORE: A incredible 2024 promises to get even better for 20-year-old Shannon Tan, after she made the cut for the upcoming Olympics.

In doing so, Tan will be the first Singaporean golfer to compete at the Games.

Calling it "mind-blowing" and a "great honour and great opportunity" to fly the Singapore flag in Paris come August, she told CNA: "I look forward to taking it one shot at a time."

Qualification for the sport is determined by the Olympic Golf Rankings, with only 60 men and 60 women set to tee off at the Games.

The top 15 players from the Official World Golf Rankings are eligible for the Olympics, but this is capped at four golfers per nation.

Thereafter, the Olympic Golf Rankings are made up of the top two eligible players per country, on condition that the country does not have at least two players in the top 15.

Tan placed 41st in the Olympic Golf Rankings with the qualification period ending on Monday (Jun 24).

"Our entire golf community in Singapore is beyond thrilled that Shannon is going to be our first golf Olympian," said Singapore Golf Association president Tan Chong Huat.

"She has shown immense talent and potential to be a world-class player from a very young age. We are now looking forward to following her progress at the Games and wish her every success.”

As of Monday, a total of 23 Team Singapore athletes including Tan have qualified for the Games.

A HUGE SACRIFICE

Tan, already Singapore's top female golfer, turned professional about five months ago.

She made history shortly after when she wonthe Magical Kenya Ladies Open in February, becoming the first Singaporean to earn a Ladies European Tour (LET)title.

"WinningMagical Kenya Ladies Open was a career highlight because I won on my LET debut and less than a month after turning professional as well," recalled Tan, who is ranked 181st in the world.

"I've of course thought about the 'what could haves' and the 'what should haves' but I've also realised that I've gained so much experience and I've learnt so much."

Instrumental to Tan's success has been the support of her parents, who decided to quit their jobs and relocate to Australia when their daughter was 13.

"It was just a huge sacrifice, probably the biggest sacrifice they've had to make,"recalled Tan, who started golfing at the age of five.

"They both sacrificed a lot. Moving countries is a huge thing ... We kind of knew that if we went to Australia we'd have more opportunities and more time to practise."

The change took some getting used to, added the golfer, as Australia was a"very different environment" and she missed friends and family back in Singapore.

"My parents did a lot of research in terms of housing, school and golf options so that definitely helped to make the whole process more manageable for me," Tan added.

She later earned a full scholarship to Texas Tech University, where she finished fourth at the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) Division 1 golf regionals in her freshman year.

"Playing college golf has played a big role in preparing me for professional golf. We used to travel to different courses very often for competition, which is very similar to my week-to-week schedule now," said Tan.

"It helped me to develop a routine on the road and gain exposure to different types of golf courses which definitely helps me prepare for competitions better.

Months later, and while still an amateur, Tan won the 2023 Singapore Ladies Masters, a professional event on the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.

The eventual decision to turnprofessional was a tough one, recalled Tan, as she was enjoying competing in the NCAA with her team.

But after securing a tour card - which allowed her to compete in all LET events in 2024 - the Singaporean returned to university and had a discussion with her coaches.

"I am very fortunate that they and the school were very supportive of me turning professional as they knew what it meant to me," she added.

Since leaving school, Tan has competed in 13 LET tournaments, registering two top 10 finishes, including her landmark victory in February.

Next up for her is the biggest stage in all of sport."I don't think anything can compare to the Olympics to be fair," said Tan.

Golf unofficially featured at the Olympics in 1900 and 1904, but was only reintroduced to the Games over a century later, in 2016, and has been a part of the programme ever since.

Before Tan, veteran golfer Mardan Mamat came closest to qualifying in 2016 but eventually missed out.

"When I found out (back then) that they were making golf a sport at the Olympics, I was quite excited about that," said Tan. "But I was having my PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) that year and didn't get to follow it that much."

She watched the subsequent Tokyo Olympics in 2021 closelybut come August, Tan will be doing much more than just sitting glued to the television.

Getting to compete with some of the best in the world could "potentially inspire more juniors to pick up the game", she said. "Having somebody represent Singapore for golf at the Olympics would be a good start."