SINGAPORE – Just days before the Hero Women’s Indian Open, Shannon Tan did not even know whether she would be playing in the tournament.
Stuck in Singapore as she faced challenges obtaining the visa she needed to travel to India, she found herself frequently checking her e-mail inbox, hoping for the approval to come through.
After pushing her flight back several times, the Singaporean golfer finally got her visa. She flew to India on Oct 7, two days later than planned. Relieved that she was able to make the trip, Tan quickly regrouped, adjusting her practice schedule and timings to prepare for the event, which started on Oct 9.
The hiccup did little to rattle the 21-year-old though, as she emerged triumphant with a five-under 67 in the final round on Oct 12 to finish on a seven-under 281 total, a stroke ahead of England’s Alice Hewson (72), who surrendered the lead on the last hole.
India’s Hitaashee Bakshi (76) was two shots behind in third.
Tan said: “It means a lot to win for the second time this year and so soon after the Amundi German Masters.
“It’s been a great season so far and I’m really proud of how I’ve stayed consistent and kept putting myself in contention which was the goal at the start of the year.”
Her victory at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, about 30km south-west of New Delhi, was also not short of drama.
Tan, who carded rounds of 68, 73 and 73 earlier in the week, started the final day tied for fourth at two-under 214, seven strokes behind overnight leader Bakshi.
As Bakshi faltered with a four-over 76 which included a double-bogey, Hewson and Tan moved into contention, with the Briton holding the lead for much of the round.
Playing in the group before Hewson, Tan, who finished with six birdies and a bogey, endured a “nerve-racking” wait as she trailed by a stroke. That changed on the par-five final hole, where a double-bogey by Hewson handed Tan her third Ladies European Tour (LET) title and the winner’s cheque of US$75,000 (S$97,330.50).
Reflecting on her win, the world No. 100 said: “I was honestly shocked, but also really happy.
“Alice is one of my closest friends on tour and it was unfortunate to see what happened on the last hole.
“I didn’t expect to win the tournament that way, but I’m very grateful for how things turned out.”
World No. 100 Shannon Tan celebrates after making a putt in the final round of the Hero Women’s Indian Open on Oct 12.
PHOTO: TRISTAN JONES/LET
Tan’s victory in the US$500,000 tournament comes after she won her
second LET title
at the Amundi German Masters in June, adding to a growing collection of accolades that includes her maiden win on the circuit at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in 2024.
Apart from her triumph in Germany, Tan has had six other top-10 finishes on the tour in 2025, with her result from India propelling her from second to the top of the LET’s Order of Merit (OOM), the season-long competition to crown the circuit’s No. 1 player, ahead of English rookie Mimi Rhodes.
The top 10 in the OOM at the end of the season also earn exemption into the final qualifying tournament of the LPGA Q-Series in December, when golfers compete for the opportunity to earn LPGA Tour membership for next season.
Tan began her 2025 campaign strongly with a third-place finish at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, followed by top-10 results at the Jabra Ladies Open (second), Tenerife Women’s Open (tied-sixth), Hulencourt Women’s Open (tied-10th), Aramco Houston Championship (fourth) and the La Sella Open (fourth).
She also made the cut at both Majors she contested in 2025, coming in tied-59th and joint-40th at the
Evian Championship
and
British Women’s Open
respectively.
With three LET events left this season, she is looking to conclude her second year as a professional golfer on a high.
She said: “The mindset is to just keep doing what I’ve been doing. It’s been a long but really rewarding season. I want to finish strong and keep building on the momentum.
“My main goals are still the same: aiming for the top of the LET Order of Merit, performing well at LPGA Q-School and giving my best each week.”
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