Khanh Hung Le of Vietnam. -- Photo: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
DUBAI: Vietnamese rising golf stars Nguyen Duc Son and Le Khanh Hun intend to keep the spotlight firmly on their nation when they tee up in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship which begins at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course on Thursday (Oct 23).
The 18-year-old Duc Son and Khanh Hun, 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 creating headlines in recent times.
In July, national golfer Nguyen Anh Minh produced a historic breakthrough by becoming the first Vietnamese to qualify for the final of the US Junior Amateur. Khan Hunh, who is a high school student in the US, won the country’s first-ever individual gold medal in the South-East 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.
Duc Son Nguyen of Vietnam. -- Photo: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
“If Hun or I 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 Hun. “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 coveted tickets to play in the Masters and The Open next year. When Duc Son started to take up golf seriously, it was in the same year that Jordan Spieth won both the major championships in 2015.
“Playing in both majors is every golfer’s 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 (2015). I tell myself that I need to practice hard, do everything to be like him. That’s my dream.”
Khan Hunh, 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 prestigious 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 and they help get me on track,” he said.
