By Chuah Choo Chiang
Teenager Khanh Hung Le has already carved his name into Vietnamese golf history over the past two years. On Thursday, a blistering start at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship gave him another milestone, and more importantly a chance to write his most significant chapter yet.
The 17-year-old produced a stellar six-under 66 at sun-baked Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, highlighted by four birdies and a stunning eagle, to seize the co-first round lead with Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee and Australian Billy Dowling. It is the first time a Vietnamese golfer has held a share of the lead in any round of the Championship’s history.
Compatriot Duc Son Nguyen opened with a 75 and will have a battle on Friday to make the 36-hole cut.
The U.S.-based Le, with his father Van Lan as caddie, produced some impressive ball-striking, sinking an eagle conversion on the par-5 13th following a majestic 7-wood approach from 244 yards. He made further gains on the 18th and second holes, before finishing strongly with birdies in his closing two holes at the iconic venue which has the stunning Dubai skyline as its backdrop.
“It was good. I'm just happy that I stick to my strategy. Didn't get frustrated, I'm happy I was composed,” said Le. “I think I believe in my preparation and just a lot of trust in myself. I would say everything is feeling nice out there.
“I didn't look at the scoreboard for the whole round. I just tried to do my job and the last two approach shots from the waste area, and all of them reacted nicely. I'm happy I hit it on the putting green and made the two putts. Very satisfying.”
Le created history for Vietnam by becoming the first male golfer from the country to win the individual gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in 2023. Last year, he was part of the national team which won the 2024 Nomura Cup on home soil, marking an historic maiden victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship for the emerging golf nation.
In 15 previous editions of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, no Vietnamese has won the prestigious Championship, with Anh Minh Nguyen's tied seventh finish at Royal Melbourne in 2023 being the best result. This past summer, Nguyen produced another breakthrough by becoming the first Vietnamese to qualify for the final of the U.S. Junior Amateur.
Le is confident the winless streak at the Asia-Pacific Amateur will end soon, if not by him, but by one of his fellow national team members. “Definitely would be a big thing,” said Le on the prospect of celebrating a first Vietnamese winner.
“It would mean a lot to me and the country, and definitely it will happen for Vietnam. There is a lot of good players, golf is progressing, and the support from families is good. I have a lot of belief in Vietnam.”
The Florida-based high school student, who finished T24 in his Championship debut in 2023 but missed last year’s Championship due to a visa snag, is happy to have his father acting as caddie as he has not seen Le senior for months. To him, his father, who served with the Vietnamese military, is his idol due to his work ethics.
“Definitely feels really good,” he said of his father’s presence this week.
“He always says I get the final choice (on club selection). It feels a bit different because I haven't had a caddie for a long time. I trust what he says. We always keep it very light. He never forced me to take golf too seriously. He always told me that if it's not fun, then don't make it too hard for yourself. He is an inspiration throughout my journey to this point. He's a big motivation to keep working and be the best version of myself every day,” added Le, who will join Illinois University next August.
“Kids have someone they look up to and dad has always worked really hard. Our family is nothing special but all my relatives, they work hard and I feel it's just part of my family tradition. I want to continue that.”
The prospect of this week’s champion earning coveted invitations to the Masters Tournament and The Open is an enticing one for the bespectacled and soft-spoken Le, who learned to play the game at the age of eight.
“The majors are every player’s dream. To me, one of the most special majors is The Open because of the links test. Just to have the opportunity to play in this Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and have a shot to play in the majors is very big for the region,” he said.
“Everyone would love to play in those majors. I remember in 2019, I was really young and golf was a hobby. I spent the whole Sunday watching Tiger (Woods) win the Masters and it was special. I didn’t know much about Tiger then, but it was special to me as he was emotional, everyone was emotional. It was cool and I would love to do it, now that I think of it.”
