IPS: New 'runway' helps Vietnamese golfers reach US NCAA scholarships

Trang An Golf & Country Club is the first destination of IPS - AJGA in Vietnam.

In recent years, the doors to athletic scholarships in the US have opened wider than ever, and golf is one of the sports most sought after by top universities. With the introduction of the International Pathway Series (IPS), officially partnered with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), Vietnamese golfers now have the opportunity to enter the professional arena and compete for prestigious university scholarships in the US, where an athletic scholarship can be worth up to $200,000-$300,000.

In the US, the NCAA Golf system brings together hundreds of university programs with golf teams, from Stanford and Arizona State to Wake Forest. It has also produced some of the biggest names in world golf, such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Nelly Korda. Each year, thousands of international students are selected through tournaments within the AJGA system, which is considered the "golden gateway" to the NCAA.

However, for many years, young Vietnamese golfers had virtually no opportunity to compete directly or be recognized in this international ranking system. Therefore, the fact that IPS, an independent system licensed by the AJGA and co-organized outside the US, officially opens the way for Vietnamese athletes to participate is not only good news, but also a historic turning point for Vietnamese junior golf.

According to representatives of the IPS Vietnam Series, the first tournament will take place from January 22-25, 2026, at Trang An Golf & Country Club ( Ninh Binh ). This is an international standard course, once voted by Golf Asia magazine as one of the most beautiful courses in Southeast Asia. Results from the tournament will be recognized in the AJGA Performance Based Entry (PBE) ranking, a key factor in the application process for American universities.

Currently, Vietnam has only a few golfers who have ever reached the NCAA level, such as Luu Thai Duong (University of Washington) or Tran Lam (California State University) - who had to spend many years seeking opportunities to study and compete through intermediary systems. The IPS - AJGA Series promises to significantly shorten this path, giving young talents the chance to be selected right in their home country.

More than just a sporting event, IPS is also expected to become a bridge for education and career guidance. Each season, the organizers plan to invite NCAA recruitment experts, American university coaches, and former scholarship golf students to share their experiences, directly observe, and select potential athletes.

In the context of Vietnamese sports seeking professionalization, the emergence of an integrated "runway" like IPS not only helps young golfers see their goals more clearly, but also helps parents realize that investing in golf is now not just a passion, but can also be a sustainable and profitable educational investment.