Shannon Tan made history on Sunday when she became the first player from Singapore to win on the Ladies European Tour at the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
The 19-year-old received a unique bronzed giraffe trophy for her efforts, fitting given that the stunning creatures caused a delay in play as two rescue giraffes made their way down the 18th fairway.
The PGA Baobab Course is situated in the Vipingo Ridge, a 2,500-acre sanctuary that, since 2020, has worked with the Kenya Wildlife Services to develop a rescue and breeding program to return larger herbivore species to the area, according to its website. In addition to three rescue baby giraffes, there are zebra, impala, eland, oryx and waterbuck on the grounds.
Play was interrupted at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open for the most amazing reason
pic.twitter.com/FAjbNavmYu
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) February 11, 2024
In addition to the greens crew, there are 11 park rangers to monitor and protect the animals.
As for Tan, she earned her LET card last December as an amateur and won her first start on the LET as a pro. Tan also won the Singapore Ladies Masters on the China LPGA Tour last July.
Tan closed with a 70 to win by four strokes over Italy’s Alassandra Fanali.
#LETWinnerSelfie with @TitleistEurope golf ball loyalist Shannon Tan who won the Magical Kenya Ladies Open with her Titleist Pro V1
#RaiseOurGame | #ballingolf pic.twitter.com/NAuGyUdcWR
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) February 12, 2024
“It was a tough decision to begin with,” said Tan of turning professional, “but I’m glad I made it now. It’s a good thing because juniors back home know it’s possible and that anything is possible, and it can push them a little bit and inspire them.”