Shannon Tan notches best finish by a Singaporean with tied 34th spot at HSBC Women s World C ship

SINGAPORE – Playing on the LPGA Tour has been a goal of Shannon Tan’s since she was a junior golfer, when she used to watch the circuit’s events on television and dreamt of being part of the field.

Teeing up at the HSBC Women’s World Championship has only solidified her desire to play in the top women’s series, as the 20-year-old put up a creditable showing to finish tied-34th in the field of 64 at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course.

After rounds of 73-72-69, the sponsor’s invitee carded a two-over 74 in the final round of the US$2.4 million (S$3.2 million) on March 2 to sign for an even-par 288 total, the highest finish by a Singaporean golfer at the LPGA event.

Her compatriot, Chen Xingtong, the only amateur in the field, shot a 79 to place last on 21-over 309.

Previously, the Republic’s best showing at the tournament came in 2016, when Koh Sock Hwee finished tied-59th, while the lowest score by a local golfer was Amanda Tan’s eight-over 296 effort at the 2023 edition, when she was 62nd.

“I’ve played in a few LPGA-sanctioned events, but this one is just way different in terms of my experience,” said Tan, who plays on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and featured at two Majors – the 2024 Women’s British Open and Evian Championship – besides the Paris Olympics.

“I didn’t put a timeline on when I have to be on the LPGA but, overall, looking at my progress from last year to this year, there are some positive things in my game that I’m seeing, so that’s always a good thing.”

While it has been one of Tan’s busiest tournament weeks as she also juggled other commitments such as golf clinics and a corporate social responsibility event, she enjoyed