Vietnam’s Nguyen Duc Son and Le Khanh Hung fired up for success in Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship  07:12, 22/10/2025

The 18-year-old Duc Son and Khanh Hung, 17, will carry the nation’s challenge in the region’s premier Championship with a steely determination to become Vietnam’s first ever winner since the event’s inauguration in 2009.

“Representing Vietnam is a big honour for me as we get to compete with other big players from Asia-Pacific. I will do my best and make everyone proud,” said the Hanoi-based Duc Son, who missed the halfway cut in his debut in Japan last year.

Vietnamese golf has enjoyed the headlines in recent times. In July, national teammate Nguyen Anh Minh produced an historic breakthrough by becoming the first Vietnamese to qualify for the final of the U.S. Junior Amateur. Khanh Hung, who is attending high school in the U.S., won the country’s first ever individual gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in 2023 while Duc Son claimed victory at the Faldo Series Asia Finals last year. Vietnam also won the 2024 Nomura Cup on home soil, marking a historic maiden victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship.

“If me or Hung can play well and win this tournament, it’ll be good for the game in Vietnam. We are always pushing each other to get better day by day,” said Duc Son.

“I’ll be trying my best,” added Khanh Hung. “It (winning) would mean a lot to me and the country, and it will definitely happen for Vietnam one day. There is a lot of good players in Vietnam, golf is progressing and a lot of junior golfers receive support from their families. I have a lot of belief in Vietnam golf.”

Winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur is an enticing prospect as the champion will earn tickets to play in the Masters and The Open next year. When Duc Son started to take up golf seriously, it was the same year when Jordan Spieth won both the major championships in 2015.

“Playing in both majors is every golfers’ dream. This is a great motivation,” said Duc Son. “When I started playing, I really liked Jordan Spieth. He is my favourite player and he won the Masters and The Open in the same year. I tell myself that I need to practice hard, do everything to be like him. That’s my dream.”

Khanh Hung, who was a member of the winning Nomura Cup team, is excited to be back in the Asia-Pacific Amateur as he was forced to miss last year’s Championship in Japan following a visa snag. “I’m really excited for this tournament. It’s the biggest in Asia-Pacific and I just wish to have a good time and be the best version of myself every single day,” he said.

The Vietnamese duo enjoyed a first practice round on the Majlis Course on Tuesday and believe course management is critical for them to mount a serious challenge for the title. “This course is pretty tricky. Fairways are narrow and the greens have a lot of slopes and are well protected by bunkers,” said Duc Son. “The wind picks up in the afternoon, which I’ll have to concentrate 100%. I’m feeling good, and I hope to play well.”

The fire in Duc Son’s belly comes primarily from the support he receives from his family, especially his father Ngoc Quang who was a professional tennis coach. “They push me every day, I really thank my dad who is always pushing me to the limit. I like to be pushed. Sometimes, we are human and lose our focus, lose concentration,” he said.