Published July 17, 2008 on October 9, 2020

Kelly Tan Joint Leader at the KPMG PGA Championship, Gavin Green Lies T4th at BMW PGA Championship

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Malaysia’s Kelly Tan, 26, is seeking her first victory on the LPGA Tour at the KPMG PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. Kelly sit atop the first day leaderboard together with Brittany Lincicome with their matching scores of 3-under 67. Gavin Green, meanwhile, is in joint fourth place on 5-under 67 at the Wentworth Golf Club.

 

In her interview, Kelly said that she has been encouraged by her showings of late, playing into the weekend at the ANA Inspiration and playing solidly again last week in Atlantic City (11 under through 54 holes) before shooting 74 on Sunday. (She tied for 18th). Her ball-striking is good, and her putter hot. It was a nice combination. She made five birdies to pace her 3-under effort. She sank three birdie putts measuring 25 or more feet, a nice bonus on a series of Donald Ross greens that can be rather tricky.

 

“When I come here the Sunday before this week, it was pretty wet, so it was playing really long, and no, I did not see five birdies,” Kelly said. “Just trying to make pars are good.”

 

As for the putting? “Yeah, I feel the putter was behaving itself pretty well,” Kelly said, smiling. “I feel great. I’m in a great spot.”

 

This is the first time a Malaysian has held a lead in a major tournament and Kelly has certainly been looking for her breakthrough victory on the LPGA Tour. She has played better of late after she failed to make the cut this year at the Women’s British Open. Her previous best finish in a major came in 2016 when she tied for 30th at the Women’s PGA.

 

“I just feel like I try to tell myself that every day I have a little goal and try to achieve them and build confidence from there,” Kelly said. “My ball-striking has been really good, and I think that’s been a key and it’s been giving me a lot of confidence going into the next day.”

 

First-time major champions — even those not among the top 50 in the world — are becoming common on the tour. Eight of the past nine major champions had never won one before. Kelly said that she took inspiration from all the recent first-timers in the major championships club.

 

“Winning golf tournaments out here is life-changing,” she said. “It’s very emotional even when I watched them win. I wish to do that one day.”

Gavin sank five birdies and is just one shot away from the leader. The Malaysian number one shares fourth place with 2109 Open champion Shane Lowry from Ireland, former Ryder Cupper Matt Fitzpatrick and Eddie Pepperell, both from England.