SINGAPORE – After teeing off her title defence at the Hero Women’s Indian Open with an encouraging four-under 68 on Oct 22, Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan found herself at tied-15th on the leaderboard the next day after shooting a five-over 77 in a tough second round.

But that did little to faze the world No. 59, who produced the perfect response the next day with a five-under 67 to put herself back in contention, before completing her comeback with an even-par 72 on Oct 25 to finish third in the US$500,000 (S$639,190) event.

Her four-under 284 total at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, India, placed her seven strokes behind Thailand’s champion Pornanong Phatlum (65). India’s Vani Kapoor (70) was in second place between them, three strokes ahead of Tan.

On turning things around after the second day, the 22-year-old said: “It definitely gives me confidence because it shows that I can trust the work I’ve been putting in and find a way to get back on track.”

The week was made more challenging as she played with pain in her left wrist, which she attributed to overuse.

The course’s thick rough aggravated the strain, so she visited a physiotherapist and played with her wrist taped to manage the pain.

Entering the final round tied for second with Pornanong, the duo sat a stroke behind overnight leader Vani.

But Pornanong was untouchable on Oct 25, registering seven birdies to shoot a scintillating 65 and claim her third Ladies European Tour (LET) victory, as Vani’s title charge fell apart despite a strong start that saw her card four birdies in her first five holes.

Meanwhile, Tan mixed four birdies with four bogeys to secure a top-three finish and €26,727.48 (S$38,240).

This is her eighth top-10 finish in 2026, which includes a tied-sixth showing at the Women’s British Open in August.

She also made history at the Kasugai Country Club East Course in Japan earlier in October as she became the first Singaporean to win a medal at the Asian Games with her individual bronze.

While she did not retain her title in India, there were still many positives that Tan took away from her week.

“It was exciting to come into the week as the defending champion, especially at a course where I have such fond memories from my win last year. Although the results weren’t quite what I was hoping for, it was still a special week to be back,” said the 2025 LET Order of Merit champion.

“I also really enjoyed being part of the junior clinic and having a question-and-answer session with the juniors who came out to watch us play. It was nice to spend some time with them and share a little of what I’ve learnt along the way.”

This season marks a departure from previous years for Tan, who scaled back her LET schedule to compete in two Majors in the United States – the Chevron Championship and Women’s PGA Championship.

She will make 19 LET starts this season compared with 23 in 2025, leaving little room for error as she targets a top-10 finish on the Order of Merit.

Securing that spot would earn her exemption into the final stage of LPGA Q-School in November, where the top 25 and ties secure status on the prestigious tour in 2027.

Tan, who currently sits sixth on the Order of Merit, said: “Playing more Majors in the US has definitely been an eye-opening experience, and I’ve learnt a lot from competing on such challenging courses against really strong fields. Those experiences have helped me develop my game further.

“At the same time, playing fewer LET events does mean there’s a little more pressure to make the most of the opportunities I have, especially when it comes to the Order of Merit.

“It’s about finding the right balance between competing, improving my game and making sure I’m physically and mentally fresh throughout the season.”

With two more events – the Oct 29-Nov 1 Wistron Ladies Open and Nov 5-8 Aramco China Championship – left to play this season, Tan’s focus is on making sure that she is in the best shape going into Q-School.

She said: “I’m approaching it the same way I always do, by taking things one event at a time and focusing on what I can control.

“It’s been a long season with a lot of travelling and competing, so giving my body enough time to rest and recover is really important.”