Malaysian ladies No 1 Kelly Tan is ready and raring to go in the 2022 LPGA Tour season, buoyed by a stellar performance in the Q-Series at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama earlier this month.
“My mindset at the Q-Series was very different than at a regular event. Now that I know what it feels like, I would like to keep working on that and bring the same mindset to a tour event,” said Kelly, who finished T12 on 13-under-par in the gruelling 144-hole Q-Series to earn a full LPGA Tour card for 2022.
“I’m very excited and really looking forward to a great 2022 season on the LPGA Tour. A consistent year is my main goal … and obviously a win will be amazing!”
Currently in Calgary, Canada, for the Christmas and New Year holidays with fiancé Dusty Lattery, Kelly noted that having him on the bag for the Q-Series and having her mum around really helped.
“Dusty was great! He knows my game and also knows how I react under pressure. I had my mum with me too … nothing beats a home-cooked meal after a mentally gruelling day on the course! Very grateful to have their support through the two weeks,” she said.
Looking back on a rather topsy-turvy 2021 season, Kelly singled out her final round 64 at the Tokyo Olympics in August as a critical confidence-booster.
“I had a little rough patch in the middle of the season but that final round 64 at the Olympics really gave me a boost for the rest of the season. I kept at it, and fought till the end,” she shared.
“I’m really proud of how I handled Q-Series. It is brutal but yet so rewarding. There’s so much on the line and my back was definitely against the wall. I put that all behind me, knowing I have the game and confidence. I played really well, so steadily and, most importantly, I got the job done,” added the 28-year-old.
The other Malaysian in the Q-Series, rookie pro and former University of Southern California standout Alyaa Abdulghany, failed to make it past the 72-hole cut.
“I saw Alyaa there everyday … we chatted a little bit and I was surprised that she didn’t really ask many questions. Q-Series is a sensitive event, so I didn’t want to tell her what to do. She’s a great player and that got her there. I wish she would have asked me to play a practice round or two but, again, I didn’t want to mess up her regime.
“She’s still young, she’s got the game and probably just needs some experience, which she can gain on the Symetra Tour. I hope Alyaa enjoys tour life … this is only the beginning for her!”
Hailing from Batu Pahat in Johor, Kelly turned professional in 2013 and has competed mainly on the LPGA Tour since then. She enjoyed a career-high 37th place on the tour’s season-long Race To CME Globe standings in 2020 and holds the record for best Malaysian finish in a Major with her T13 performance in last year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
