KUALA LUMPUR – Golfer Kelly Tan is still confident she can turn her fortune around after getting some much-needed time off.
The Malaysian No. 1 has not had the best of starts to her 2023 Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour campaign.
Following a gruelling and mentally draining stretch from late March where she missed six cuts in a row, Kelly opted to take a break from the tour and skip this week’s Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in Last Vegas – despite her unbeaten run in last year’s event.
The 29-year-old noted she needs time to rest and recharge before the LPGA Tour’s four-event East Coast swing, beginning with the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National (June 1 to 4) and culminating with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol (June 22 to 25).
Kelly also plans to use this week to spend quality time with her husband Dustin Lattery, whom she married in December.
“I feel that I need some time to rest and also to be home with Dusty. I spent a lot of time away from him this year and we just want to enjoy a week together before I go back out on tour for a long stretch,” said Kelly, who hails from Batu Pahat, Johor.
“It’s been tough not having him caddying and being there every week.”
Kelly is confident that things will get better for her on the golf course.
“I know that I was building confidence in the past three tournaments. I don’t really look at cuts made because I don’t want just to make cuts. If you make the cut and don’t play well, it still feels horrible.
“Last year, even when I was finishing in the top 20, I still felt that there were disappointing weeks because I had the chance to finish higher. I just want to be confident and really enjoy my time out on tour.
“I’m excited for the next stretch and it can only get better,” noted Tan, who finished 67th on the LPGA Tour’s season-long Race To The CME Globe standings last year.
Kelly stressed it is very important for all golfers to have a positive outlook.
“My advice to everyone, young and old, is to always manage your expectations and maintain a positive perspective.
“There is always something you can be positive about in your life. For instance, this week I get to be home with my husband,” Kelly advised.
Having turned professional in 2013, Kelly enjoyed her best season in 2020, finishing 27th on the Race to The CME Globe rankings.
She has one victory on the LPGA’s secondary circuit, the Epson Tour, at the 2019 Florida's Natural Charity Classic.
In April this year, Kelly was appointed as the ASEAN ambassador for Maybank, Malaysia’s largest financial services and banking group.
This followed the announcement that the LPGA Tour will be returning to Malaysian shores with the US$3 million (RM13.7 million) Maybank Championship, which tees off on October 26 to 29 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. – The Vibes, May 24, 2023
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