Natasha bounces back, finishes top five before LPGA Tour debut

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian golfer Natasha Andrea Oon (pic) received a timely morale boost ahead of her long-awaited LPGA Tour debut after finishing tied fifth at the IOA Golf Classic on the Epson Tour.

The 24-year-old carded rounds of 70, 66 and 69 for an eight-under total at the Alaqua Country Club in Florida on Monday.

Natasha is returning to competitive action after being sidelined for two full seasons due to a sesamoid injury in her foot.

Natasha will mark her debut as an LPGA Tour member at the Fortinet Founders Cup in California this week.

The 2019 SEA Games team silver medallist earned eight top-10 finishes in her debut season on the Epson Tour in 2023, including one win at the penultimate event – the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, to earn her LPGA tour card in 2024.

But then came the crippling injury in her foot that ultimately sidelined her for two full seasons.

“Honestly, during that period when I was trying to get back into the swing of things, I felt like I was doing something wrong every day. And things would just get really painful,” she said on the Epson Tour website.

After extensive rehabilitation and recovery, Natasha began her journey back to competitive golf, teeing off at the IOA Golf Classic.

The nerves were still there after such a long layoff, but she entered the 2026 season with a different mindset.

“If I hit a ball really badly, I’d just think, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so funny’. I wasn’t worried about it.

“I was in such a dark place before that, compared to this, it feels like serenity.

“So I’m not really bothered by it – I just want to enjoy it,” she added.