By Jonathan Ponniah
Kelly Tan aims to enlist the help of a mental coach to get her 2023 LPGA Tour campaign back on track, following a disappointing run of eight missed cuts in nine starts.
The Malaysian ladies’ number one was unable to get into the field for the ongoing KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol and will also miss the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach in two weeks’ time. The time off, however, will give her space to seek a mental reset.
“This year has been tough. I’m just fighting with myself mainly and I’m my own enemy. I have a few weeks off here and I’ll be looking for a mental coach. Hopefully I’ll be able to find someone I like, so I can work on that aspect of my game for the future,” said Tan.
Kelly Tan
Tan noted that her physical game is still in good shape, as shown in recent sub-70 rounds at the Shoprite LPGA Classic (68 in Round 1) when she made it to the weekend, and last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic (69 in Round 2).
“The game is there, I just have to put all the pieces together for a good week … and most importantly allow myself to do so,” said the 29-year-old.
Over the course of her 10-year professional career, Tan has set numerous benchmarks for Malaysian golf including best performance in a Major across both genders with her T13 finish at the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Her best finish on tour was runner-up in last year’s team-format Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational when she teamed up with her good friend, Finnish player Matilda Castren.
In 2020, Tan finished a career-high 37th on the LPGA Tour’s season-long Race to the CME Globe standings. She has made no less than 24 starts in Major events, which is by far a Malaysian record.
However, Tan has faced downturns in her career before, rebounding each time where many would have thrown in the proverbial towel. Following a lacklustre 2017 season, she competed on the LPGA’s secondary circuit, the Symetra Tour (now known as the Epson Tour) the following year and won one event en route to regaining her LPGA Tour status. Tan had to play in the LPGA Q-Series at the end of 2021 and finished joint 12th to get back on the LPGA Tour.
“I think most people who know me would say that I have a feisty personality. There is a strong resilience in me and, for me, it’s about being my best self. I haven’t really played up to my potential, where I think I can be. That’s what wakes me up in the morning and keeps me moving forward,” shared Tan.
Tan stressed that having her Canadian husband, Dustin Lattery, back on tour was a great relief. The couple tied the knot last December but, due to business commitments, Lattery has not been able to accompany Tan as much as he would have liked to.
“There are tough days, I’m not going to lie. I’m grateful to have my husband by my side to keep me on track and not let my head go down the spiral,” said Tan, who finished 67th in the 2022 Race to the CME Globe.
Earlier this year, Tan was appointed as the ASEAN ambassador for Maybank, Malaysia’s largest financial services and banking group. The LPGA Tour will be returning to Malaysian shores this October 26-29 with the US$3 million Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
