Hai Phong, Vietnam: Vietnam’s emergence as a growing golfing force will be underlined this week when it plays host to the 30th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship, also known as the Nomura Cup.
Not only is it the first time that Vietnam has staged the showpiece Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) event that was launched in 1963, but also it’s the first occasion that Vietnam has fielded a team in the tournament.
Among the 57 players from 19 countries taking part in the biennial gathering, Vietnamese 17-year-old Nguyen Anh Minh is the top-rated player in the field, currently 84th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
“The oldest of all the events in the APGC’s portfolio, it’s with tremendous pride that we are staging this fabulous tournament in Vietnam for the first time since its inception more than 60 years ago,” said Taimur Hassan Amin, Chairman of the APGC.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to Vinpearl Golf Hai Phong and the Vietnam Golf Association for enabling us to stage the Nomura Cup here in 2024.
“It’s testament to the rapid growth in popularity of golf in Vietnam that the country is producing some talented young players.
“Given the quality of the golf courses, it’s no surprise either that Vietnam is now one of the choice locations for the staging of international tournaments such as the Nomura Cup.
“We’re delighted also that we’ll be returning to Vietnam later in the month for the 2024 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Senior Championship and next March for the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific.”
Among dozens of famous golfing names to have played in the Nomura Cup are Australians Cameron Davis, Cameron Smith, Geoff Ogilvy and Craig Parry, Chinese Taipei’s TC Chen, TM Chen and Hsieh Min-nan, Indians Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh, Korean Kim Kyung-tae, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Japan’s Shingo Katayama, Massy Kuramoto, Shigeki Maruyama, Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima.
Amin predicted more stars of the future will spring to the fore at Vinpearl this week.
He said: “I’m very pleased to see that 19 countries are participating in this year’s event and I’m looking forward to watching the great talent that is emerging from our region compete against each other in a warm and competitive spirit.
“I’m certain that many of the players in the field this week will go on to enjoy outstanding careers in the game – and will be able to look back fondly to having represented their countries with such distinction at Vinpearl Hai Phong.
“A big thank you to Vietnam Golf Association Secretary-General Vu Nguyen and his team led by Bach Cuong Khang, and also the management and staff at Vinpearl Hai Phong as well as all officials, sponsors and volunteers, without whom it would not have been possible to stage this event.”
