Vietnamese golfers have a disadvantageous start at Lexus Challenge 2024

The international professional golf tournament at The Bluffs par71 course recorded that only Truong Chi Quan of the entire Vietnamese delegation entered the top 25 on the opening day of March 13.

Chi Quan was ranked T24 with +2 points when the Organizing Committee temporarily stopped round 1 because it was dark with 16 golfers not finishing the match.

The Lexus Challenge 2024 features three stroke play rounds competing for a prize fund of $85,000, bringing together 138 golfers. By nationality, Vietnam has 28 professional representatives and 13 amateur faces.

The cut-off point will be determined based on the principle of taking top or T50 at the end of round 2 on the afternoon of March 14. Accordingly, the expected cut-off point is at +4 and only four Vietnamese representatives are above or right at the cut-off point, including Chi Quan, 17-year-old amateur Nguyen Anh Minh and Tran Van Hoang at T33 (+3) and Do Hong Giang at T44 (+4). Right below the expected cut-off point, at T55 (+5), the domestic pro group only added Nguyen Huu Quyet, Doan Van Dinh, Dao Hong Linh and Dinh Song Hai.

Anh Minh plays in round 1 of Lexus Challenge. Photo: VGA — Anh Minh plays in round 1 of Lexus Challenge. Photo: *VGA*

T33 position and +3 tournament score were unfortunate results for Anh Minh, when he bogey both holes at the end of round 1. That ending left Anh Minh eight strokes away from the top of the table. The leading position, at -5, belonged to Thai golfer Runchanapong Youprayong with five birdies, one eagle and one double bogey.

Following Youprayong are two compatriots, Itthipat Buranatanyarat in second place (-4) and Sangchai Kaewcharoen in T4 (-2). "When playing on this course, you have to try to stick to the fairway, the ball should be low to avoid the wind," Youprayong said after his first real match at the Lexus Challenge 2024 course.

The tournament was launched in 2019 and from 2022 will be at the top of the VGA Tour schedule, the very year the professional golf competition system is launched by the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA).

At the end of January 2024, VGA signed a cooperation agreement with the Asian Tour, thereby determining that the Lexus Challenge will start and share the same venue for the 2024 season with the Asian Development Tour. This is considered a stepping stone to the first-class arena with the same name as the host organization.

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