Do Duong Gia Minh and the breakthrough at the age of 16

Remember at the 2024 National Golf Championship, Do Duong Gia Minh did not make the cut, leaving the tournament after the first two days of competition. But in the current season, the 2025 National Golf Championship - Gia Lai , the golfer born in 2009 has made incredible progress. At the end of the first day of competition, he scored 7 birdies to top the men's table with a score of -1. Note that FLC Golf Links Quy Nhon is a very difficult course, and Gia Minh is the only golfer to finish the opening day with a negative score.

Sharing with Tien Phong reporter, Mr. Do Hoang Tu - Gia Minh's father - said that the factor that needs to be improved the most in this 16-year-old boy is his mentality. "Unlike skills that can be mastered quickly, mentality takes a long time to adjust, especially the pressure when competing. With what he showed on the first day, Gia Minh has shown progress. His spirit is quite stable and he maintains a comfortable mood."

Gia Minh's father shared that the golfer born in 2009 has the strength of playing long game, with the ability to execute very long shots. One of the other important factors that helps Gia Minh always have a stable mind on the FLC Golf Links Quy Nhon course is the presence of teacher Pham Minh Duc, who plays the role of caddie for Gia Minh in this tournament, and at the same time controls the student's psychology well in addition to giving useful advice. "Playing next to the teacher, friends often ask why he doesn't hit the club, Gia Minh jokes, if he hits the club, the teacher will hit it right away," Mr. Hoang Tu said with a laugh.

However, the second day of competition will be a new challenge for Gia Minh, when he is under the pressure of being the leader. "A difficult test, and I am watching to see if Gia Minh can be steady and maintain stability," said Mr. Hoang Tu. "This morning before going out on the field, I told him to forget everything about yesterday. Today is a new day and what he has to do is focus on playing well."

Mr. Hoang Tu also said that Gia Minh started playing golf at the age of 8, during the summer vacation of 3rd grade. Gia Minh immediately loved and showed his talent for this sport . Every time he left the golf course, the atmosphere of golf followed him home, still shouting "welcome on the tea". Later, with golf, Gia Minh became more calm and hid his emotions very well. He never cried on the course, and was more resilient under pressure.

However, to reach the professional path is still a long way, requiring many sacrifices, hard work and especially the ability to withstand high pressure. "I have outlined a roadmap, that if you want to pursue golf, you need to do this, you must do that. Gia Minh understands and begins to have a clear direction for himself. For about a year now, he has been very determined," said Mr. Hoang Tu.

Everyone has seen Gia Minh's determination at FLC Golf Links Quy Nhon. And we will follow this promising young man at the National Golf Championship - Gia Lai 2025 as well as many other tournaments in the future.