Only two Vietnamese golfers remain in the Lexus Challenge 2024.

With a cut-off score of +6, only Nguyen Anh Minh and Truong Chi Quan from the Vietnamese team qualified for the final round of the international professional golf tournament at The Bluffs par 71 course in Ba Ria - Vung Tau .

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

The cut-off point was determined at +6, based on the principle of taking the top or T50 at the end of round 2 this afternoon, March 14th. Currently, Anh Minh is in T17, and Chi Quan is in T37. This positional correlation is the opposite of the opening round, where Chi Quan was in T24 (+2), and Anh Minh was in T33 (+3).

Nguyen Anh Minh in Round 2 of the Lexus Challenge today, March 14th. Photo: VGA — Nguyen Anh Minh in Round 2 of the Lexus Challenge today, March 14th. Photo: *VGA*

Today, Chi Quan scored +3 in the round, bringing his tournament score to +5 and dropping him to T37. Meanwhile, Anh Minh scored +1 halfway through the round. However, Vietnam's number one amateur later played brilliantly, showcasing three birdies and no bogeys. Thanks to this, the 17-year-old golfer from Hanoi raised his tournament score to +1 and climbed 16 places to T17.

The tournament has one round left and is expected to conclude on the afternoon of March 15th. Theoretically, Anh Minh still has a chance to win the cup, being five strokes behind the leader. The lead is currently held by two Thai golfers, Itthipat Buranatanyarat and Sangchai Kaewcharoen, both at -4. This is a decrease of one point compared to round 1.

The Lexus Challenge, launched in 2019, has topped the VGA Tour calendar since 2022, coinciding with the inauguration of the professional golf tournament system organized by the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA).

At the end of January 2024, the VGA signed a cooperation agreement with the Asian Tour, thereby confirming the Lexus Challenge as the inaugural event and sharing the venue for the 2024 season with the Asian Development Tour. This is seen as a stepping stone to the top-tier competition under the same name as the governing organization.

The agreement between the VGA Tour and the Asian Tour follows a common co-sponsorship model in international golf, which is seen as a bridge to create opportunities for competition and career development for professional golfers, similar to the DP World Tour with the PGA Tour and the Sunshine Tour of South Africa, or the Asian Tour with the LIV Golf League.

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