Golf 

The organising committee announce the 30th Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship-Nomura Cup 2024 and the Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship 2024 on September 19. Photo of VGA

HẢI PHÒNG — Việt Nam will be a key destination for many accomplished golfers as they will arrive to compete at the 30th Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship-Nomura Cup 2024 and the Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship 2024 in Hải Phòng City.

They are two of eight official tournaments of the Asian Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC).

The first will be from October 15-18 while the second one will be from October 30 to November 1 at the Vinpearl Golf Hải Phòng golf course.

According to the Việt Nam Golf Association, each event will feature more a hundred athletes from APGC's 47 members, including Australia, Japan and China, Hong Kong, Thái Lan and the hosts.

Vietnamese golfers on the greens will be Faldo Series Asia winner Nguyễn Anh Minh, SEA Games champion Lê Khánh Hưng and Lion City Cup gold medallist Hồ Anh Huy.

The biennial Nomura Cup, for men's teams, is held over four days with 18 holes of stroke play. Results from the two players with the best score will be counted as the team's result in each round. The team with the best gross over 72 holes will lift the championship trophy.

Australia has previously dominated, winning the cup ten times, followed by Japan with seven.

The Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship is the premier team and individual event for senior golfers across the region.

The tournament provides a chance for players aged 55 and above to compete for the ultimate prize – an exemption into the R&A Senior Amateur Championship. Since its inception in 2006, it has become a pinnacle event for senior amateur golfers.

The men's competition will feature a team format where the top three of four scores from each round will contribute to the overall team score across the 54-hole event.

In the women's competition, the best two of three scores each day will count toward the team total. Women’s competitors must meet the age qualification of 50 years and older.

Last year, Australian James Lavender and Sue Wooster took the individual titles and Australia also secured teams' cups at the Vinpearl Golf Nam Hội An in Quảng Nam Province.

“VGA has hosted successfully international competitions in recently years. We have earned high reputation in organising and managing tournaments internationally. It is the reason why Việt Nam are selected as hosts of these October events," said VGA Deputy General Secretary. "VGA will continue to affirm our organising ability while proving that the infrastructure in Việt Nam can serve quality golf tournaments.

"In addition, we also want to introduce and promote the image of Việt Nam as a golf destination, a friendly tourist destination and the development of our domestic golf industry.

"Most of all, we hope that our guests will be left with a deep positive impression of the tournament itself and the country in general," he said. VNS