Gotemba, Japan: Nguyen Anh Minh is banking on experience gained at the AAC Academy to stand him in good stead at the 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
A member of the International Team at last week’s Junior Presidents Cup in Canada, 17-year-old Anh Minh is set to further enhance his burgeoning reputation at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba this week.
“I’m very excited to be here,” said the rising Vietnamese star after playing nine holes in a practice round today.
Unlike most of this week’s participants, Anh Minh has considerable first-hand knowledge of the stunning Gotemba Course, having attended the AAC Academy here.
The AAC Academy was set up to help players from some of the less well-developed golfing nations to tune up for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship with top-level coaching at the tournament site, including course management and mental strategy.
“The AAC Academy has been a great help to my game. I’ve played the course a few times during the AAC Academy, which has been good for learning strategy on the course. It’s been amazing.
“I’m really grateful for the Academy and Nick Shan (R&A) and the coaches there,” said Anh Minh, currently 84th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Of the layout here, he said: “It’s a really great course – a Tour course. Trees are in play and I feel it’s a pretty good fit for my eye because I hit those little cuts. So, I’m hoping to show some good scores.”
In his two previous appearances at the AAC, Anh Minh tied for 48th in Thailand in 2022 and placed equal seventh at Royal Melbourne in Australia last year – the first top-10 AAC finish by a Vietnamese player.
“I’m hoping to come here and represent my country and try to put up some good scores, maybe make the weekend … and we’ll see what happens next. Every time I get to play in the AAC it’s a real honour and I’m just trying to enjoy the week,” he added.
Although he was on the losing team in the Junior Presidents Cup, it was another experience to savour for the teenager who also represented the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation in last year’s Ryder Cup-style Bonallack Trophy against the European Golf Association in Spain.
Reflecting on being part of the team in Canada last week, he said: “I’m very grateful to the team captain and the assistant captain for choosing me to be a part of the team. It was a wonderful week. You have to take in all the memories because you can’t get those back.” Spoken like a true veteran.
