Golf in Vietnam has made quantum leaps over the last decade or so, despite being a relatively new sport for the sprawling Southeast Asian nation.

The Vietnamese team’s historic victory at last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship for the Nomura Cup bore testament to the country’s emergence as a regional force, driven by the far-sighted developmental initiatives of the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA).

At the professional level, the Lexus Challenge has helped accelerate that growth by providing a platform for Vietnamese golfers to benchmark their skills against the cream of the Asian Development Tour (ADT), while providing a pathway to the Asian Tour.

The US$90,000 event tees off this week at Greg Norman’s highly-acclaimed masterpiece, The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, featuring a field of 138 players made up of 84 from the ADT and 54 from the VGA. This will be the fifth staging of the championship and its second iteration as a co-sanctioned VGA and ADT event.

Nguyen Thai Duong, Deputy Secretary General of the VGA, noted that the Lexus Challenge is a vital cog in the Vietnamese golf machinery.

“I’ve played on the Asian Tour, and I know that it is the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia. A lot of young players will find it difficult to get to the Asian Tour right after they turn pro. The ADT is the best way for them to gain experience and hone their skills to prepare for a bigger stage like the Asian Tour,” said Duong, a former touring professional turned elite coach.

“When we decided to develop professional golf in Vietnam, we started in 2017 with smaller tournaments and then progressed to bigger ones like the Lexus Challenge, which was first held in 2019. Since then, the Lexus Challenge has always been the most prestigious local tournament, and is always played at the best courses set up to the toughest conditions.
“Last year, we co-sanctioned the Lexus Challenge with the ADT to pave a pathway for Vietnamese players. Through the ADT, we try to provide the chance and opportunity for our players to get to the Asian Tour,” he elaborated.

With 18 professionals and 20 amateurs in the mix, the host nation will be hoping for a strong showing on home soil. The domestic drive for glory will be led by the nation’s current top-ranked professional, Anthony Truong, who was T36 last year, and veteran campaigner Michael Tran.

Leading Vietnamese amateur Nguyen Anh Minh, who was T18 last year and won the event at age 15 in in 2022 before the ADT co-sanctioning, will not be competing this year as he is in the United States for the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Duong named two players as young local talents to watch out for – amateur Doan Uy and his former national team-mate, Nguyen Nhat Long, who joined the paid ranks last year.
“We have a few promising young players who are looking to perform better on the international stage. I think the Lexus Challenge will be a good test for them to come out and show how they’ve improved,” noted Duong.

The third hole at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, venue for this week’s Lexus Challenge, a co-sanctioned event between the ADT and the Vietnam Golf Association.

Meanwhile, Truong believes that local knowledge will serve him well again on his home course, which will play as a par-71, 6,885-yard tract for the championship. The rugged, links-like layout is known for its towering sand dunes, undulating fairways and huge greens, often buffeted by strong coastal winds.

“It’s important to know the course well and to be able to hit certain shots when the wind picks up. Judging the wind, and having the confidence to execute the shots to suit those conditions, are the keys to conquering the course,” said Truong, whose best finish on the ADT is sixth place at the 2023 Saudi Aramco Invitational.

“I love having ADT events in Vietnam as they help showcase our spectacular golf courses to the world. The events also allow up-and-coming players to test their skills and see what it takes to become a professional golfer,” added the 27-year-old.

Standing in Truong’s way will be a host of high-calibre players, including Thailand’s Tawit Polthai who won the ADT’s season-opening PKNS Selangor Masters in Malaysia. Wily Filipino veteran Juvic Pagunsan, who was second in the Selangor event, is also playing this week and is always a threat.

Nicknamed ‘Dr. Quân’ due to his ability to ‘cure’ bad shots by salvaging par from the worst spots, Truong hopes to finish in the top-10 on this year’s ADT Order of Merit so he can progress to the Asian Tour. “To get into those bad spots, I would have to hit some below-average approach shots – so that’s what I need to work on if I want to finish in the top 10!”

Last year’s Lexus Challenge saw Pakistani ace Ahmad Baig claim his first of two ADT titles in 2024 by two shots over Thailand’s Jakraphan Premsirigorn, who has returned for another crack at the title. Baig would go on to finish fourth on the 2024 ADT Order of Merit and earn a much-coveted Asian Tour card.

Ken Kudo, General Manager of the ADT, voiced his appreciation to the championship partners. “It has been a privilege indeed working with our visionary partners, the Vietnam Golf Association, VG Corp, Lexus, The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram and all the championship stakeholders over the last two years.

“The Lexus Challenge is one of our most popular tour stops, and we look forward to some excellent golf this week,” he said.

Main picture: Vietnam’s Anthony Truong, the nation’s top-ranked professional, who will be teeing it up at this week’s Lexus Challenge.