Nguyen Anh Minh: Young warrior continues his journey to conquer the 'Everest' of amateur golf

Nguyen Anh Minh, Hamilton Coleman and USGA President Fred Perpall.

Impressions at the US Junior Amateur and a message to home

Last weekend, the American media mentioned a lot the name Nguyen Anh Minh, an 18-year-old boy from Vietnam, who pulled home golfer Hamilton Coleman into the dramatic 35-hole US Junior Amateur final at Trinity Forest Golf Club.

“It was one of the most memorable finals in years,” a commentator said live on Golf Channel.

Although he has not been able to touch the championship trophy, Anh Minh left a proud message: "Young golf in Vietnam is developing very quickly, and it is great to see young kids starting to play golf, practicing hard every day. I hope one day I will see them standing here (US Junior) or participating in any USGA tournament."

"I feel optimistic about the future of Vietnamese golf. I hope that my achievements this time can motivate the students, so that when they look back, they will see that we also have a chance," Anh Minh shared with the American media.

Western Amateur: the “Everest” of amateur golf

Right after the US Junior Amateur, Anh Minh quickly moved from Texas to Chicago (USA) to continue his challenge at the 123rd Western Amateur Championship.

The tournament was founded in 1899 and is considered the “Everest” of amateur golf, where many legends have engraved their names on the George R. Thorne Championship Cup such as Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw…

The Western Amateur is also part of the seven most prestigious amateur championships in the United States, along with the Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North & South Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Southern Amateur and Pacific Coast Amateur.

The tournament is not only a new challenge, but also an opportunity for Nguyen Anh Minh to continue to assert himself among the world's top young stars, after attracting the attention of the entire American golf community at the US Junior Amateur.

Anh Minh and Khanh Hung both participated.

This is Nguyen Anh Minh’s second time participating in the Western Amateur. Last year, the golfer born in 2007 failed to make the cut with a total score of +1 after 36 holes. This time, Anh Minh aims to improve his performance and advance further.

Besides Anh Minh, his teammate in the national golf team, SEA Games 32 gold medalist Le Khanh Hung, also participated in the competition.

According to the schedule, Nguyen Anh Minh will start from hole 10 at 7:45 am (local time) on the opening day. Le Khanh Hung will play at noon, teeing off from hole 1 at 12:10 pm.

The 2025 Western Amateur will take place from July 29 to August 2 at Skokie Country Club (Illinois), bringing together 156 golfers invited from around the world. The tournament will consist of two 18-hole stroke play rounds, with a cut to select the 44 golfers with the best scores and ties.

Golfers who pass the first cut will continue to compete in 36 holes of stroke play and a second cut. The 16 golfers with the best results after 72 holes will be paired up in a knockout match to find the champion.