The Magical Kenya Ladies Open was literally close until teenager Shannon Tan etched her name into history.
Two giraffes strolled slowly down the 18th fairway during the final round at Vipingo Ridge’s Baobab Course. The course is located within a wildlife reserve, where a variety of African species, from monkeys to zebras and antelopes, roam freely.
Many of the wildlife are protected animals, including the two giraffes that wandered on Sunday. According to the Bipingo Ridge website, one of the pair was named Valentine after he was rescued from a drought as a baby orphan in Samburu, northern Kenya, on Valentine’s Day 2021.
After the pair staggered back into the trees, the focus returned to the 19-year-old, who was making her first professional start on the Ladies European Tour (LET), charging toward the giraffe-shaped trophy.
Tan, who started the day sharing the lead with Alessandra Fanari, made five birdies to pull away from the Italian and win with a total of 12 under par, becoming the first Singaporean to win the LET.
The Texas Tech alumna became the first homegrown golfer to earn a full LET card last month and won the Singapore Ladies Masters, a Chinese LPGA Tour event, as an amateur in July before turning professional in January. did.
“It was a difficult decision to begin with. [to turn pro] But now I’m happy to have won,” Tan, who is ranked 434th in the world, told reporters at the opening event on Sunday ahead of the tournament.
“That’s good because the juniors back home know it’s possible and anything is possible and it gives them a little push and inspiration.
“I go into every event with the same mindset and goals and just do my best and control the controller. I can’t control what other people do, but I can only control what I can do. We just have to stick to our game plan.”
Home to Africa’s only PGA-certified course, the 2,500-acre Vipingo Ridge estate is home to the PGA Academy, built with the dream of training future Kenyan champions.
Staff also hope that after implementation of the breeding program, the animals living there will eventually be reintroduced into the wild or other sanctuaries and sanctuaries, Bipingo Ridge chairman Alastair Cavenaugh said in 2022. He told CNN in 2017.
“As human populations grow, human-wildlife conflicts are only going to go in one direction and get worse,” Cavnow said.
“So I think there is a lot of opportunity and space for the government to partner with developers and landowners who have land that they can commit to reserves and protected areas to create space for wildlife.”
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