Nguyen Anh Minh targets Asia-Pacific Amateur victory to inspire Vietnam’s next generation  11:01, 19/10/2026

The 19-year-old Vietnamese No. 1 amateur will compete at Te Arai Links in New Zealand from October 29 to November 1, seeking a victory that would earn him invitations to the 2027 Masters Tournament and an exemption into The 155^thOpen Championship at St Andrews.

But the opportunity to represent his country on golf’s biggest stages carries significance beyond his own ambitions.

“It would mean a lot, not just for me or my teammates, but for golf in Vietnam,” Anh Minh said about the prospects of winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur. 

“Having a Vietnamese player compete in the Masters and The Open would be a huge moment for our country and hopefully inspire more young golfers back home to believe they can reach that level too.”

Anh Minh has already established himself as one of Vietnam’s leading golfers, reaching the final of a USGA championship for the first time by a Vietnamese player when he finished runner-up at the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Texas.

He also enjoyed a breakthrough first season of U.S. college golf with Oregon State, winning the individual title at the Bandon Dunes Collegiate in March. His breakthrough season earned him GCAA Freshman All-American honours and the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year award. He also tied for fifth at the Amer Ari Invitational and finished runner-up at the West Coast Conference Championship in 2026.

“Those results meant a lot to me and gave me confidence that I can compete at the highest level,” he said. “The U.S. Junior was a great learning experience, and winning at Bandon Dunes showed me how much I’ve grown since then. Both motivated me to keep improving and competing for bigger things.”

Now in his sophomore season at Arizona State University (ASU), Anh Minh believes competing regularly against leading collegiate players in the U.S. has helped prepare him for the challenge in New Zealand.

“College golf in the U.S. has helped me grow a lot. Competing against top players every week has improved my consistency, course management and mental game,” he said. “It’s also helped me become more disciplined and independent both on and off the course.”

His development has been built on a strong record across Asia. In 2024, he won the individual title at the Nomura Cup, helping Vietnam secure the team championship, and captured the Malaysian Amateur Open, Taiwan Amateur Championship and Vietnam Amateur Open.

He also won the 2023 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final and finished tied for seventh at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Australia that year, then the best result by a Vietnamese golfer in the Championship. 

He missed the 2025 edition in Dubai, and was inspired by new ASU teammate, Fifa Laopakdee, who became the first Thai to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur following a play-off triumph over Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki.

Naturally, Anh Minh is hoping to emulate Fifa and become the first Vietnamese player to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

“Yeah, it definitely inspired me a lot seeing him winning and getting to go to the majors. I was very happy for him, and he's a great guy,” said Anh Minh. “Knowing he was the first from his country to win the AAC definitely inspired me a lot to go and hopefully make a statement for myself.

“The AAC is definitely one of the biggest events in amateur golf, especially for players from the Asia-Pacific region. I think what makes it so special is not only the level of competition, but also what’s at stake. Having the opportunity to earn a spot in the Masters and The Open is something every amateur golfer dreams about.

“I am really looking forward to this year's AAC in New Zealand. I've always wanted to travel to New Zealand, and I'm looking forward to experiencing new cultures and a new golf course. Having missed the event in Dubai last year, I've been counting down the days to come back to the AAC.”

Established in 2009 by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, The R&A and the Masters Tournament, the Championship provides a pathway to two of golf’s most prestigious major championships while helping to develop the game across the region.