It was an incredible 2024 season for Singapore native Shannon Tan, and she’s wrapping it up this week at the Final Qualifying portion of this year’s LPGA Qualifying Series.
After earning Ladies European Tour (LET) membership via the circuit’s Qualifying School last year and turning professional in January, Tan won in her first-ever LET start at the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open, defeating Alessandra Fanali by four shots at Vipingo Ridge in Kenya. The title saw Tan become the first Singaporean to win on the LET, and the victory was the first of nine total top-15 results she would collect throughout the season, a slate of performances that helped Tan ultimately finish sixth in the season-long Order of Merit as a rookie, which provided her an exemption into LPGA Q-Series’ Final Qualifying stage this week.
“It was definitely one of my goals this year to finish in the top 10 on the Order of Merit on the LET and get to final stage here, so it definitely means a lot to know that I’ve achieved that goal that I set for myself,” Tan said ahead of the start of Final Qualifying. “It’s my rookie year, so I think it was a good year for growth and learning and experience. I think I’ve learned a lot this year, especially adapting to different types of courses.”
Along with her success on the LET, Tan also had the opportunity to play in three tournaments over the summer that were co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Ladies European Tours. She made her debut on the biggest stage in the women’s game at The Amundi Evian Championship in July, ultimately missing the cut in her first major championship in Evian-les-Bains, France. But Tan learned from that experience and managed to play the weekend in her next two LPGA starts, finishing 67th at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open and tying for 60th at the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews.
However, it was Tan’s appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics that proved to be the crowning jewel of her 2024 season. The 20-year-old teed it up alongside 59 of the world’s top golfers at Le Golf National just outside of Paris, France, a slate of players that included the likes of Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda and eventual gold medalist and LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko, and made history as the first Singaporean athlete, male or female, to compete in the Olympic golf competition.
Tan ultimately didn’t find the podium in Paris, but she finished 40th in her Olympic debut, a respectable showing that taught the young talent a lot about what it means to represent her country on the largest of global scales.
“The crowds, atmosphere, and support have been overwhelming, and the past two weeks have been an awesome experience,” said Tan in an Instagram post after the Games. “A huge thank you to my family, friends, sponsors and team for being with me every step of the way. It was an honor to represent Singapore and to be an Olympian.”
Now, Tan finds herself in Mobile, Ala., pretty much as far away from Singapore as she could possibly be, vying for a spot on the LPGA Tour next season. It’s a huge opportunity for the 20-year-old LET champion, but it’s one she’s trying not to make too big a deal out of in an effort to recreate her success at LET Q-School last year.
“I think the mindset that I went into LET Q-School with is, I’m just here for experience, and I’ll see what happens,” said Tan in Alabama. “And then it went well, so I’ll just have the same mindset, just go into (this week) like how I did at LET Q-School and hope it goes well.”
The 20-year-old carded a 4-over 76 in the first round at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – Magnolia Grove’s Crossings Course, a slow start that has put her behind the eight ball early in Lower Alabama and a hole she will be working to dig herself out of before the cut is made after Sunday’s fourth round. Tan will begin round two in a tie for 86th and needs to climb the leaderboard quickly if she wants a chance at one of the LPGA Tour cards that will be handed out on Monday after the conclusion of Final Qualifying, what would be a dream ending to her first year as a professional golfer.
But Tan isn’t too stressed about capitalizing on this moment.
Unlike some in this week’s field, she is guaranteed a place on the Ladies European Tour next year, and if she completes 72 holes in Mobile, Ala., Tan will earn Epson Tour status for the 2025 season, an added bonus that would give her another chance at securing an LPGA Tour card via that circuit’s season-long Race for the Card.
Earning Tour status this week would just be gravy for the young athlete.
“I would always watch a lot of LPGA events on TV, and I wanted to be where they were on TV,” said Tan of her LPGA Tour aspirations. “I watched a lot of golf in class. No one really knows this. I just liked to watch golf, and I was like, ‘It’d be so nice if I could be where they are.’ And I guess that was where I felt like working. It was like a motivation thing.
“But ever since I was 10, I thought, I want to be on the LPGA one day. I guess I didn’t put a timeline to it. I never expected to be professional at 20 because I was still in college and then played LET Q-School and then turned professional. I guess if it’s a timeline thing, I don’t really have a timeline for it. I just go with the flow and take it one shot at a time.”
