SINGAPORE – As Singaporean golfer Shannon Tan completed the final round of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open on Feb 11, her father Desmond Tan was following the action closely from the live stream thousands of kilometres away.

It took five hours for the 19-year-old to seal a historic victory at the tournament as she became Singapore’s first winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET), but for Mr Tan and his family, it was a moment years in the making.

Mr Tan and his wife Winnie Cheong have had to make some major decisions for their family in support of their daughter’s golfing career.

The first came about seven years ago when their only child asked to move to Australia to pursue golf.

After some considering and believing it would benefit her, Mr Tan and Ms Cheong, who worked in the semiconductor industry and as an office support staff member respectively, quit their jobs to relocate the family to the Gold Coast.

Mr Tan, 51, said: “It was a big decision but I was happy she wanted to further develop and pursue golf; that’s why I do feel happy that she initiated that move as well.”

The social golfer had introduced his daughter to the game when she was five, thinking it could be a bonding activity for the pair.

“At that moment, she was enjoying everything as long as it was outdoors, but for golf, she didn’t feel bored,” noted Mr Tan, who now freelances in various sectors.

“For some kids, hitting balls can become quite boring after 30 minutes, but for her, she was still enjoying it after two hours, whether it was putting, chipping or hitting.”

Tan progressed steadily through the age groups and gave the first glimpse of her potential when she won an interschool tournament in Primary 5.

She was smaller than most in the field and her lean build limited how far she could hit, but Mr Tan recalled how her short game propelled her to an unexpected win.

He applied what he read about biomechanics by exposing her to different sports such as running, football and tennis, to help her in her development as a golfer.

But even then, he was cautious about putting too much emphasis on results.

He said: “Sustainability for kids is very important. At some point, if the results don’t turn out well, there may be a loss of interest...

“Building the basic foundation was another key area – there was no rush to get results and she was enjoying the process.”

Then came the move to Australia. Mr Tan acknowledged it came with risks but they were ready to take that leap to support her dreams.

He said: “Financial stability is a key challenge because it’s a long journey and we do not know what will happen, but if you don’t step it up, you won’t know the outcome.

“There’s no harm in giving it a try and it all turned out to be well eventually… But at that moment, you couldn’t predict all these things, so it was a risk.”

With the yearly fee at country clubs for junior members averaging about $500, Mr Tan registered his daughter as a member in three to four different clubs, giving her access to different facilities in Australia.

But they were also careful about their spending. Instead of engaging a coach throughout the year, Tan would have a few sessions with a swing and short-game coach and a physiotherapist every quarter.

Her father also built a gym in their home for less than $1,000 and took up a diploma in golf management with the PGA International Golf Institute to understand the golf system in Australia.

Tan paid tribute to the sacrifices her parents made, saying: “They’re probably one of the biggest supports I’ve had. To move to Australia when I was 14, it was a very big move, but it probably had the biggest impact on my game in a good way... They’ve done a lot (for me).”

While she may still be a teenager, her independence was highlighted by Mr Tan.

He and his wife left it up to her to make the decision to withdraw from Texas Tech University, where she was on a sports scholarship, to turn professional after she earned her full LET card in December.

Whenever he watches her tournaments in person, Mr Tan often does not follow her through her round, catching her only at the first and last holes.

In between, he watches other golfers, observing how they navigate certain situations, analysing their swings and noticing certain aspects like how they score birdies, which he sometimes shares with his daughter.

Mr Tan and his wife meet her only two to three times a year, but they are happy to see her forging her path.

He said: “The sacrifice of quitting our jobs turned out to be a good decision because she was young – we did it at the right time and were also able to spend time with her then.

“Now she’s considered an adult, she has her own circle of friends, her own life. We’ve spent the past 10 years with her and that was nice.”

• Additional reporting by Rohit Brijnath