Shannon Tan, a 19-year-old from Singapore, is the winner of the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open that took place at the par 73 Baobab Golf Course at Vipingo Ridge.
This was her debut event on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
On Sunday, during the final round of the four-day event, Tan carded 3 under par 70, to taker her total score for the tournament to 12 under par 280.
She edged out her closest challenger, Alessandra Fanali from Italy, by four shots to seal her fantastic debut win on the Tour and become Singapore’s first LET winner.
She had a hot start to her final round, holing three birdies in the first five holes before dropping a shot at the par-five sixth.
She immediately recovered that shot in the par-5 seventh with a birdie, before dropping another short 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.
“It was close until hole 16 where it was like a one-shot difference, but I stuck to my own game plan just trying to hit every fairway and every green I can. So, basically, that was my game plan throughout the whole day today,” she said after her victory.
For her outstanding performance in Vipingo, Tan will bank KES 7.9 million (€45,000), earn 500 LET order of merit points, and qualify to play at next week’s prestigious Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF whose prize kitty is KES 812 million (USD 5 million).
Shannon, who came to the Magical Kenya ladies Open being 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.
On her part, 24-year-old Alessandra Fanali played level par 37 on the first nine courtesy of birdies at the second and the seventh holes and bogeys at the fifth and the eighth.
She made a steady start to 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.
“It has been a very good week for me. I am very 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 so, I am very happy about it.
“Today, I tried it, I gave myself a chance, but my putts didn’t really want to go in so, it’s okay. Next week is another week and we’ll see what’s going to happen in the next few weeks,” she said.
For her runner-up finish, Alessandra will bank KES 4.7 million (€27,000) and earn 320 order of merit points and will also take part at next week’s Aramco Saudi Ladies tournament.
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 Switszerland and Nataliya Guseva – who all ended their challenge in Vipingo with scores of 4-under par 288 to complete the podium places.
The 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open teed-off for the fourth edition of the event at the PGA Baobab Course in Vipingo Ridge on Thursday, bringing together 108 golfers among them five Kenyan amateurs.
The tournament attracted the participation of golfers from 36 nationalities and was broadcasted live globally across eleven territories.
