Singapore: Amanda Tan created a slice of golfing history by becoming the first female to win on the Singapore Pro Series Invitational Presented by FTAG.
A brilliant birdie-birdie finish by Tan on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club saw her close with a two-under-par 69 for a two-under total, and a ground-breaking three-shot victory over compatriots Shannon Tan, an amateur, and Koh Dengshan.
Shannon Tan fired a 72, while Koh, the first-round leader with a 70, carded 73 ‒ in what was the Pro Series' fifth leg.
Amanda Tan's feat was made even more impressive by the fact that she held off a challenge from Mardan Mamat over the closing holes.
The country's most successful golfer, with five Asian Tour wins, was also in the hunt for his first Pro Series title but double-bogeyed the 16th, opening the door for Amanda Tan to finish in style for the victory, and record the only sub-70 score of the event.
Mardan returned his second 72 to tie for fourth on two-over with fellow-Singaporean Abdul Hadi, who shot the same scores.
“Being the first female to win a FTAG Pro Series event feels just great!” said Amanda Tan, a three-time Queen Sirikit Cup representative for Singapore. “My putting today was strong. I had some trouble on 14 and 15 but I trusted my golf which kept me strong for the last few holes.”
Amanda Tan, who is based at Sentosa Golf Club, earned a cheque for S$3,000 and moved into sixth place on the Order of Merit, with three more tournaments to go on the new eight-leg circuit.
Shannon Tan, who played in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific, said: “I’m very happy to be playing in my first FTAG Pro Series tournament. It was a great experience for me. I would like to thank the Singapore Golf Association for the opportunity, and I look forward to the next one.”
Amateur Justin Kuk, runner-up in last month’s Singapore Open Amateur Championship, returned a 76 to place eighth while Hailey Loh, who won the women's division of the Singapore Amateur, shot a 77 for 15th position.
Leg six of the circuit takes place next week (August 11-12), while the seventh event tees-off from August 25 to 26. The season-ending tournament will be held from January 5 to 6. All the remaining events will be played at Sentosa Golf Club ‒ home of the SMBC Singapore Open.
