Golf: Tan makes history by winning the inaugural Singapore Ladies Masters

SINGAPORE: Making history, Shannon Tan became the first Singaporean amateur to clinch victory in the inaugural Singapore Ladies Masters on the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) tour on Saturday.

The 19-year-old showcased her skills on her home course at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club, concluding with a six-under-par 66 to edge out China's Ji Yuai by one shot. Ji missed a birdie opportunity on her final hole, a setback that could have led to a playoff against the young Singaporean.

Approaching the 18th green, Tan displayed impressive composure, successfully sinking a 10-foot putt to conclude the 54-hole event with a winning total of 10-under-par 206, reports Xinhua.

"This (win) is truly special, particularly in the presence of all my friends and family who have been supporting me throughout the week. It hasn't really sunk in yet. I wasn't aware that I had to make the birdie putt on the 18th to win, and so I approached it as if it were any other regular putt," shared Tan, a current undergraduate at Texas Tech University who had returned from the United States specifically to compete in this tournament.

On the other hand, Ji was visibly disappointed as she held onto a slim one-shot lead with only four holes remaining to play. A bogey on the 17th hole dashed any hopes of her inaugural breakthrough on the CLPGA.

"It's disappointing. I really tried my best and this loss felt even worse than my other runner-up finish at the Beijing Women's Challenge, where I was leading and could have won if not for my errant tee shot on the 17th. It's a bitter pill to swallow. But that's golf and I have to move on and extract the positives from the week," expressed the 18-year-old Chinese golfer.

Thailand's Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong carded a 70, finishing in outright third place with a total of 210.

The Singapore Ladies Masters saw 132 players from 14 countries and regions vying for the total prize purse of USD 100,000.

The tournament marks the fifth leg of the 2023 CLPGA season following stops in Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong in China.