In his match against the host country's Brady Smith in the round of 32, Nguyen Anh Minh took an early lead after the first hole and maintained his advantage throughout the match. The turning point came with two birdies on the par-3 third and ninth holes, securing a 3&2 victory. This win was particularly impressive as his opponent was ranked 20th in the seeding.
Soon after, the 2007-born golfer faced Lev Grinberg in the round of 16. Grinberg, a 16-year-old from Ukraine, is ranked 237th in the world and seeded 13th in the tournament. Despite falling behind after the first hole, Minh executed a remarkable comeback, scoring birdies on three consecutive holes (holes 3 to 5). His outstanding performance caused his opponent to lose composure, resulting in a 4&5 defeat.
With two consecutive victories, Minh has secured a spot in the quarterfinals, where he will compete against 16-year-old Xihuan Chang of China, the 37th seed.
Earlier, after two rounds, Minh ranked T44 with a total score of +3, making him the only Vietnamese golfer among the 64 players advancing to the knockout rounds. The cut after the first two rounds of the US Junior Amateur 2024 was +4. The other Vietnamese golfer, SEA Games champion Le Khanh Hung, did not make the cut with a total score of +9.
The US Junior Amateur 2024 features 264 amateur golfers from 35 countries and territories, with participants required to be under 19 years old and have a handicap index of 2.4 or lower. At 17 years old, Minh and 16-year-old Khanh Hung are both ranked within the top 40 in their age group on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, earning them special invitations to the main draw.
Regardless of the outcome, reaching the quarterfinals of the US Junior Amateur 2024 is a historic achievement for Minh and Vietnamese golf. This prestigious tournament has seen many golf legends compete, including Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Scottie Scheffler.
Dai Nam