Kelly Tan Gets Even With Vancouver Golf Club And Plays Her Way Into U.S. Women’s Open
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
COQUITLAM, B.C. (May 12, 2025) - Redemption and a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open. It turned out to be a wonderful day at Vancouver Golf Club for Kelly Tan.
The 31-year-old Malaysian topped the field at a 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at the pristine Coquitlam layout and in doing so erased some bad memories from a year ago.
Tan, now a Calgary resident, claimed the lone spot up for grabs in dramatic fashion when she holed a 60-foot birdie putt on her 36th and final hole of the day.
At last spring’s qualifier at Vancouver Golf Club, Tan three-putted her final hole to fall into a three-way tie.
She then was the loser in a three-way playoff for the two spots into the Open that were available last year. “It was gut-wrenching,” Tan said. “I was so close and wanting it so bad. “I thought about that a couple of times today.”
Tan was determined this was not going to be deja vu all over again. She shot a one-under 71 in the first round and carried a one-shot lead into the final 18 holes. “I was not in the present last year,” Tan said.
“I was looking at scores and worrying too much about what others were doing. Today I told my husband (and caddie Dustin Lattery) I am going to look at the scores after 18 and I am going to keep my head down and do the best I can. Let people try and catch me.”
Nobody could, although it stayed close all day. Japan’s Rika Yabuta pulled even after 14 holes of the final round, but bogeyed No. 16 to fall one back. Tan’s improbable birdie on 18 gave her a two-shot win.
She shot two rounds of one-under 71 on a Vancouver Golf Club layout that played long and tough at more than 6,500 yards.
Tan, who divides her time between the LPGA and Epson Tours, acknowledged she really wasn’t trying to make that putt on the 18th green. “I knew it was slow,” she said.
“I paced it off and I was about 20 steps so that’s like 60 feet. I had a couple of those on the front nine where I was below the hole and up the hill and I left both of then six feet short. I made the putts and I putted great today, but I was just telling myself to let it go because under pressure you tend to tense up a bit.
“So I just tried to calm myself down and let the stroke kind of flow and it did. It was prefect speed. As soon as I hit it, I knew it was good speed, good pace and I knew it was going to be a tap-in no matter what. But about three feet from the hole, Dustin put his hand up and I knew it was in.”
image credit/ BC Golf/Jerome Goddard
Kelly Tan Gets A Hug From Husband Dustin After Qualifying For The U.S Women's Open
Tan raised her putter in the air in celebration, embraced her husband and then walked over to her golf bag and gave it a big hug as well. This will be Tan’s fifth U.S. Women’s Open and first since 2021. This year’s 80th playing of the U.S. Women’s Open goes May 29-June 1 at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin.
Tan acknowledged having to fight some demons after making a couple of bogeys on the back nine of her second round. “There’s always bad thoughts, we’re human,” she said. “You always try to screw it up, but it’s what comes out after those thoughts get processed that matters. I am just super proud and excited and can’t wait to play Erin Hills.”
Tan, who played for Malaysia in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, said she has learned some things from having played in many 36-hole qualifiers. “I feel like a veteran,” she said.
“I have done a few of these and have been on Tour for a long time. Playing with a college girl today made me feel old. Just from my experience, I know it’s not a sprint. You go out and shoot two-, three- or four-over in the first round and you are not out of it on a course like this.
"I think knowing that is a big deal. I remember the first two or three years of my career I felt like making bogeys meant going backwards, but we can make birdies and birdies come from everywhere. I think it’s the mentality of knowing that patience is key and just keep doing what you are doing and good things will happen.”
Just like they did on the 18th green at Vancouver Golf Club.
Click HERE for complete U.S. Women's Open Qualifying scores at Vancouver Golf Club
CHIP SHOTS: Yabuta earned first alternate status, while Australian Robyn Choi is second alternate after finishing third at one-over par. . .Red Deer’s Eileen Park was the top Canadian in the 35-player field. She finished fifth at six-over par. Surrey's Angela Arora and Elaine Liu of Vancouver tied for sixth at seven-over.