Shannon Tan created history at the Kenya Ladies Open after becoming first woman from Singapore to win on the Ladies European Tour.
The 19-year-old started the day in a share of the lead alongside Italy’s Alessandra Fanali on nine-under-par at Vipingo Ridge. Tan rolled in birdies on holes two, three and five to put herself in pole position before dropping a shot on the sixth.
However, she made another birdie on seven before making a bogey on the eighth and her final birdie came on 11 for a round of 70 to seal a four-shot victory over Italy’s Alessandra Fanali with a total of 12-under-par.
“It was quite close between us until hole 16, there was only one or two shots difference the whole time,” said Tan. “It was a good battle she gave me. I still stuck to my gameplan throughout. I just tried to hit every fairway and every green I can – that was my gameplan throughout the whole day and that’s how it stayed.”
The teenager secured her full LET card at Qualifying School in December while still an amateur and was making her first start on the LET as a pro. It is the second professional victory for Tan in her career, after she won the Singapore Ladies Masters on the China LPGA Tour in July 2023, but her first since turning professional.
She explained: “It was a tough decision to begin with, but I’m glad I made it now! It’s a good thing because juniors back home know it’s possible and that anything is possible, and it can push them a little bit and inspire them.
“I will go into every event with the same mindset and target and just trying to do my best and just control the controllables. I can’t control what other people do, but just what I can do. I will just try to stick to my gameplan throughout the season.”
Fanali’s disappointing closing 74 saw her have to settle for second place, while a group of five players – Manon De Roey, Ana Peláez Trivino, Alice Hewson, Nataliya Guseva and Chiara Tamburlini – shared third on four-under.