VGA announced the schedule plan for 12 tournaments in the 2023 season 08:00, 26/12/2022

Before the end of 2022, on Dec 26 at Long Bien Golf Course, the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) held a press conference to announce the schedule of the Amateur and Professional tournaments in 2023. At the same time, the session was launched. The Vietnamese version of the new golf rules will take effect from January 1, 2023. The ceremony was attended by representatives of VGA, General Department of Sports and Sports, golf courses and sponsors who have accompanied the Association.

At the press conference, Le Hung Nam - General Secretary of VGA said: "2022 with VGA is an emotional season. Besides the success of the professional and amateur tournament system, SEAGames 21, we have also organized a lot of referee training courses. We all have tried our best to promote the spirit and energy of Vietnamese people to overcome the difficulties left by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

We can all be proud of our resilience and miracles. As for Vietnamese golf, 2022 will be a year of intense breakthroughs and some remarkable achievements. Looking forward to the new year, VGA and strategic partners have planned very early for 2023 with many innovations. It is hoped that the series of professional events, professional events, and the national youth tournament system will gradually raise the level of Vietnamese golf in both breadth and depth."

Vietnam Golf 2022: Success with many milestones

Looking back on the progress of the past year, the VGA has successfully completed the set out plan of activities: in collaboration with the General Department of Physical Education and Sports and other agencies, successfully organized SEAGAMES 31 and National Sports Festival, successfully organized 5 training courses and certification exams for level 1 golf coaches with 127 certified coaches under the standardized program with the professional consultation of Professional Golf Association of Australia (PGA Australia), successfully organized 3 training courses and certification exams for Level 1 Golf Law with 87 referees with Level 1 certificates, successfully organized 4 training courses and exams. Certificate of Golf Law level 2 with 130 referees granted level 2 certificates. The difficulty measurement of golf courses was implemented quickly and smoothly by the team of experts of HHGVN. 

In addition, the VGA also strengthens connections and exchanges with international organizations, sending delegations of Vietnamese athletes to participate in tournaments in the region. At the same time, the association has also strengthened its connection and support to local golf associations to help the golf movement in the localities transform more strongly and evenly.

Regarding the tournament, in 2022, the Vietnam Golf Association successfully organized the  Amateur golf tournament system (VAS) including 6 tournaments and the Vietnam professional golf tournament system (VGA Tour) including 5 tournaments, each tournament is leave its own mark.

With 6 national amateur tournaments, the Vietnam Golf Association has made appropriate changes to the rules of the competition to make the tournaments more attractive, such as lowering the athlete's Handicap limit, or setting standards. selected the team to participate in the national club tournament…

The changes of the Association, along with the efforts of the athletes, have brought professional quality tournaments, new champions and records of Vietnamese golf were established.

05 tournaments in 2022 is also an impressive start of the Vietnam professional golf tournament system (VGA Tour). VGA Tour has proven its attraction and pioneering opening when bringing life to Vietnamese professional golf. Despite the difficulties of the epidemic, the venue, the 5 tournaments took place in turn with the determination of the organizers, the desire of the athletes and the support of the community. All tournaments have a total prize money of over 1 billion VND, of which the final tournament of the season  T99 VGA Tour Championship 2022 has a total prize of 1.5 billion VND.

In 2022, 11 tournaments organized by the Vietnam Golf Association will be live on GolfNews platforms and broadcasters such as VTV Go, FPT Play, VieOn, My TV, THVLi, TV360, ClipTV, etc. with the number of viewers counted tens of thousands of times each tournament. This shows that the tournaments have gained the attention of golf lovers across the country, contributing to the promotion of golf and the image of sponsors.

Vietnam Golf 2023: Increasing both quantity and quality

In 2023, the national tournament system organized by the Vietnam Golf Association will increase in both quantity and quality. In particular, the Association will officially launch a youth tournament system in the North, Central and South regions.

Increase VGA Tour's pro tournament from 5 to 7

In 2023, VGA Tour will have 7 tournaments. The opening will be the Lexus Challenge taking place in February with the prize money increasing to  2 billion, and the Vietnam Open taking place in September will also increase its prize money from VND1.2 billion to VND1.7 billion. 

National Championship tournaments and the Nam A Bank - Vietnam Masters continue to be held with the prize money maintained at VND1.2 billion. Along with that, there will be 2 new tournaments on the schedule, the Classic taking place in April, especially the National MatchPlay Championship (Vietnam MatchPlay Championship) previously part of the amateur tournament system will be included in the VGA Tour system from 2023, open to both amateur and professional athletes. Vietnam Match Play Championship will be held in May. After 6 tournaments, the best golfers will compete in the season-end tournament T99 VGA Tour Championship taking place in December.

The returning of VGA Union Cup

Tiếp nối VGA Union Cup sẽ là giải Vô địch Trung niên Quốc gia được tổ chức vào tháng Tư và hệ thống giải Vô địch Nghiệp dư Quốc gia 2023 sẽ kết thúc vào tháng 7 sau khi chuỗi 3 giải Vô địch Nam – Nữ Trẻ  Việt Nam Mở rộng khép lại. 

Following the VGA Union Cup will be the Vietnam Senior Open held in April and the 2023 National Amateur Championship system will end in July after the series of VAO - VLAO - VJO closes.

Launched VGA Junior Tour – the most anticipated national youth tournament system of the year

VGA Junior Tour is an important highlight of the Vietnam Golf Association in 2023. The youth tournament system is a long-standing desire and will be realized with the beginning of 8 tournaments. VGA Junior Tour will be held alternately in 3 North - Central - South with many different competition formats and a separate scoring system for golfers. This is a great effort from the Vietnam Golf Association to create a playground for young golfers, tournaments will be prioritized to be held on weekends so that it is most convenient for them to attend.

Expected schedule in 2023

*: The official competition venue will be announced later by the Vietnam Golf Association.

Announced more Vietnamese version of the new Golf Rules 2023

The Vietnam Golf Association, through its professional organization, the National Golf Arbitration Council to carry out the translation and development of an early Vietnamese version of the Law of Golf, accompanying the R&A in the development of Rule languages and released at the same time as R&A and USGA before this version of Golf Rules takes effect on January 1, 2023, thereby affirming the position of Vietnamese golf with friends International.

The 2023 version of the Golf Rules will have some adjustments such as the inclusion of golf rules for people with disabilities, the penalties in the new Golf Law are also loosened and the explanations, language and vocabulary of the Rules of Golf will also be more approachable and relatable to the vast majority of golfers of all levels.

The Golf Laws 2023 application including Vietnamese versions for iOS and Android devices as well as on the official website has been updated by R&A and can be accessed from now on. The new edition of the Vietnamese Golf Law will be printed in limited quantities by VGA in 2023 to serve training, tournament administration and distribution to its members in the near future.