• Shannon edged out Italy’s Alessandra Fanali by four strokes to seal her debut win on the iconic Tour.
• The Magical Kenya Ladies Open brought together 108 golfers from 36 nationalities among them five Kenyan amateurs.
Image: HANDOUT
Shannon Tan became the first player from Singapore to win a Ladies European Tour (LET) event following brilliant displays at the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
The nineteen-year-old pro, playing on her maiden LET event in Kenya, carded a final round of 3 under par 70 to win the MKLO on a gross total of 12 under par 280.
Shannon edged out Italy’s Alessandra Fanali by four strokes to seal her debut win on the iconic Tour.
She savoured a good start to her final round, holing three birdies in the first five before dropping a shot at the par-five sixth.
She immediately recovered in the par-5 seventh with a birdie, before dropping another shot at the par-3 eighth to card a total of 35 on the first nine. She played bogey-free on the back nine, holing a birdie at the par-5 11th for a total of 35.
Shannon, who came to the Magical Kenya Ladies Open as the first player from Singapore to secure a full LET card, went to the Lalla Aicha Q-School in Morocco in December last year for the experience but ended up finishing in the top 20, securing her full LET card and thereafter making the decision to turn pro.
Speaking after the round, she said: “It was close until hole 16 where it was like a one-shot difference… but I stuck to my game plan just trying to hit every fairway and every green I can. That was my game plan throughout the whole day today.”
Commenting on her decision to turn pro golfer just before this event, she said: “It was a tough decision to begin with, but I now know I made a good decision.
She is delighted to be first winner from Singapore on the LET, saying: “I would say I am proud. Juniors back home [now] know that it is possible, and they know anything is possible and I guess it [will] kind of push them a little bit and inspire them.”
Shannon already has her immediate figured out.
“I will go into every event with the same mindset and target; to do my best and control what can be controlled. I will just try and stick to my game plan throughout the season,” she said.
For her outstanding performance in Vipingo, Shannon will bank Sh7.9 million, earn 500 LET order of merit points, and qualify for next week’s prestigious Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, which has a prize kitty of Sh812 million.
24-year-old Fanali played level par 37 on the first nine courtesy of birdies at the second and seventh holes and bogeys at the fifth and the eighth.
She made a steady start on the back nine, playing bogey-free through the first five holes before holing a birdie at the par-5 15th. She, however, dropped consecutive shots at the 16th and 17th holes for a score of 1-over par 74 for the day; taking her total for the tournament to 8-under par 284.
She will bank Sh4.7 million and earn 320 order of merit points. She will also take part at next week’s Aramco Saudi Ladies tournament.
Fanali, who has five previous top-ten finishes in the Tour, said: “It has been a very good week for me. I am proud of myself, honestly. I came into this week, as I said before, just to try and test my game and see where I was. I am happy about it. I tried it, I gave myself a chance, but my putts didn’t want to go in but it’s okay. Next week is another opportunity and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
“I think just a couple of more putts would have dropped and it was going to be a lot easier for me to catch up some shots in the last holes but, it is what it is, and probably it wasn’t meant for me. It’s fine.”
There was a five-way share for third place featuring Belgium’s Manon De Roey, Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino, England’s Alice Hewson, Chiara Tamburlini from Switzerland and Nataliya Guseva — who had scores of 4-under par 288.
The Magical Kenya Ladies Open brought together 108 golfers from 36 nationalities among them five Kenyan amateurs.