Vietnamese quartet commit to AAC with goal to deliver first win for nation  10:35, 04/09/2026

The 19-year-old Anh Minh, who is presently No. 30 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, will be joined by Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Van Hoa and Ho Anh Huy at the Championship, launched in 2009 by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the region.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur champion will receive an invitation to the 2027 Masters Tournament and an exemption into The 155th Open.

The best finish by a Vietnamese player in the Championship’s history was a T5 result in Dubai last year by Le Khanh Hung, followed by Anh Minh’s T7 in Melbourne in 2023. The quartet will no doubt head to New Zealand with the desire to challenge for the Asia-Pacific Amateur title at Te Arai Links, a stunning links-style venue which consistently ranks in the top 100 courses in the world and features 16 ocean-view holes looking directly at the Pacific Ocean.

In recent years, Anh Minh has established himself as one of the game’s rising amateur stars, winning consistently at home and around the region before stamping his mark internationally with a first top-10 finish at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Australia.

After playing a starring role in Vietnam’s historic maiden victory in the 2024 Asia-Pacific Team Championship for the Nomura Cup, Anh Minh enjoyed more accolades in 2025 by finishing runner-up in the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur as he became the first finalist from Vietnam in a USGA event.

During his freshman year at Oregon State University, he won his first NCAA Division 1 title at the 2026 Bandon Dunes Collegiate. He recently joined Arizona State University, the same college team as defending Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand, who will also headline the field at Te Arai Links.

Ho Anh Huy, 16, is determined to put up a strong showing in his debut appearance at the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

“I’m so excited. What the AAC has done for amateur golf in the region has been fantastic. The opportunity for us young players to experience such a professional-like and well-run event is a one-of-a-kind experience and will only help prepare us for the future,” said Anh Huy, who was part of the winning Nomura Cup team alongside Ahn Minh.

“I have been watching the AAC for quite a few years now. It’s always a pleasure to watch the region’s best battle it out, but also it’s been great to see my fellow Vietnamese teammates do so well and be in contention over the years. Although the exemptions (to the Masters and The Open) and the win are undeniably at the forefront of the Championship, I think I will take it one step at a time. It would be a dream if I can accomplish a childhood goal of playing in a major, especially to represent Vietnam as well.”

At age 15, Nguyen Van Hoa will be the youngest member in the Vietnamese squad, and he is keen to absorb the experience of competing against the region’s finest amateur golfers in his hope to one day challenge for the Asia-Pacific Amateur title.

Van Hoa, who has won three junior titles at home this year, said: “Competing in the AAC has always been one of my dreams. I feel very happy and excited to have the opportunity to compete in such a prestigious tournament. I have many hopes and goals, but most importantly, I want to perform at my very best and hopefully bring pride and glory to my country, Vietnam.

“Having the opportunity to compete in the AAC is a great honour for young golfers. I believe the AAC can have a huge impact in inspiring young golfers to work harder, improve themselves and pursue higher levels of the game.”

Like other young golfers, Van Hoa dreams of playing in the Masters and The Open one day. “The AAC gives the champion the incredible opportunity to earn exemptions into The Masters Tournament and The Open. Winning is certainly a goal and a dream of mine, but I will approach this important tournament by focusing on my daily practice, giving my best effort, and believing in myself every step of the way. My goal is always to compete for the win,” he said.

A total of 117 players from 40 APGC member organisations to date have been confirmed for the 120-man field at the Championship. The field is highlighted by eight players inside the top 60 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Harry Takis of Australia (No. 17), Zackary Swanwick of New Zealand (No. 19), reigning champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand (No. 29), Nguyen Anh Minh of Vietnam (No. 30), Josh Duangmanee of Thailand (No. 40), 2024 runner-up Ziqin Zhou of China (No. 46), Taishi Moto of Japan (No. 49) and Jaden Dumdumaya of the Philippines (No. 51). Representatives from five countries have claimed titles at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, including China (five), Australia (four), Japan (four), the Republic of Korea (two) and Thailand (one).

Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and 2026 Open champion Ryan Fox. Over the Championship’s 16-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, 2018 champion Takumi Kanaya and 2021 champion Keita Nakajima of Japan, Smith, Cameron Davis and Min Woo Lee of Australia, New Zealand’s Fox, the Republic of Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan.