SINGAPORE – Growing up, Shannon Tan was often told that golf was an old man’s sport.
Her determination to dispel that stereotype has been a strong motivator, propelling her to new heights in her career as she made her debut on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in 2024.
On June 24, the 20-year-old notched yet another milestone by securing her spot at the July 26-Aug 11 Paris Olympics – a first for a Singaporean golfer at the quadrennial event.
Golf was part of the 1900 Paris and 1904 St Louis Games, but was removed and only made a comeback in Rio 2016.
Tan was ranked 43rd out of the 60 players who made the grade in the Olympic Golf Rankings on June 25 and will feature at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, south-west of Paris.
“The Olympics is such a special event, it is an incredible opportunity to qualify for the Olympics and compete against the very best in the world,” she said.
“It is the pinnacle of sport, and as such it would be a real honour to compete, and just be there among such incredible athletes and sportspeople from different disciplines.”
Making it to the Paris Olympics never really crossed Tan’s mind until 2024, when she realised she had a chance to qualify.
While the Olympic Golf Rankings are based off the official world rankings, they are two separate systems.
The top 15 players in the world are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from each country.
Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.
Playing on the LET earned Tan, the first Singaporean to play on the Tour as a full member, the ranking points required to qualify for the Olympics.
In January 2024, she decided to turn professional after taking a gap year from Texas Tech University to play on the LET.
Then, she was ranked 702nd in the world and has moved more than 500 rungs up the rankings to No. 181.
She had a dream start on the Tour, winning on her debut at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in February.
Tan also recorded top-15 finishes in four other official LET events, including joint-third at the Ladies Italian Open earlier in June.
In a first for a Singaporean woman golfer, she will also be making her Major debut at the Evian Championship from July 11 to 14.
After the Olympics, she will play in her second Major – the Aug 22-25 Women’s British Open at St Andrew’s Old Course.
While she knew she had a shot at the Paris Games, she was not fixated on it and admitted to not checking the rankings often.
She said: “It hit me this year that I’ve got a chance for it (to make the Olympics). Because it goes off world rankings so, if I play well, then my world rankings would be good enough.
“But the main goal for me was just to focus on playing well because once you do that, you qualify for a lot of things instantly.”
Tan is looking forward to her maiden Olympics as they present an opportunity to play with and learn from some of the world’s best golfers, as well as athletes from other sports.
Olympic champion and world No. 1 Nelly Korda will be part of the field in France.
In the previous edition in 2016, the Olympic golf tournament saw former world No. 1 and seven-time Major winner Park In-bee win gold in Rio de Janeiro.
Tan is also keen to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy her time in the Olympic Village.
She said: “Obviously, I want to perform at my very best, but on top of that, it is a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the very best in golf and beyond, about preparation and about the importance of mental strength and focus and delivering in the heat of the moment.
“Honestly, this is such an exciting opportunity for me, at the start of my professional career, to learn from some incredible talent, not just in golf but in other areas.”
Singapore Golf Association president Tan Chong Huat hailed Tan’s achievement, saying: “Our entire golf community in Singapore is beyond thrilled that Shannon is going to be our first golf Olympian when the competition starts in August.
“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.”
Credit: Strait Times.
