The opening two rounds of the Vietnam Legends Championship 2025 offered a rare and memorable opportunity for Vietnamese golfers to meet and play alongside golfing legends.
The Vietnam Legends Championship is part of the prestigious Legends Tour, which features professional golfers aged 50 and older.
The Vietnam leg consists of four qualifying stages under the title ‘Race to Legends.’
The first two rounds were recently held at Dalat Palace Golf Club in Lam Dong Province and KN Golf Links Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province, drawing around 200 amateur and semi-professional golfers who are either Vietnamese or currently living in Vietnam.
Participants competed in a lively and engaging atmosphere.
In addition to the competition, golfers had the chance to interact with six renowned golf legends: Phil Harrison, Jeremy Robinson, Gary Murphy, Van Philips, Gary Evans, and Bill Longmuir.
For many Vietnamese golfers, such encounters have long been out of reach.
The presence of the Vietnam Legends Championship has turned this aspiration into reality.
Although the legends did not compete as official players, they participated in an interactive format designed to engage with the local golfing community.
The first two rounds of the Race to Legends followed the Scramble format, with each group comprising four golfers playing 18 holes together.
In this format, the best score among the four players on each hole counts as the team’s score.
The group with the lowest total score after 18 holes wins the round.
Throughout the course, the legends were stationed at selected holes and integrated into each group as honorary teammates.
If their shot was the best on a particular hole, it contributed to the group’s overall score.
While the legends were not competing for titles, their involvement had a direct impact on the performance of Vietnamese golfers.
Beyond the course, they also provided advice on swing mechanics, shot direction, and tactical decision-making under challenging conditions.
Their presence created a spirited, friendly atmosphere, helping to ease competitive tension.
Despite varying weather conditions, the legends remained at their stations throughout the day, waiting patiently to meet and play with each group of Vietnamese golfers.
For local participants, the opportunity to interact, learn from, and play alongside golf legends was an invaluable experience.
Organizers also hosted a number of meaningful side activities, including pre-round sessions where participants could ask questions and receive hands-on tips from the legends — opportunities extended not just to adults, but also to junior golfers.
“Winning the round was a great honor, but getting to play alongside the legends was truly special,” said Nguyen Van Bao, a member of the team that won the first Race to Legends round at Dalat Palace.
“They were incredibly supportive and friendly throughout.
“It’s not something that comes around often, and I’m truly grateful to The Golf House Vietnam and the organizers for making this event happen.”
Among the youngest participants was Nguyen Quoc Bao Huy, a 13-year-old golfer with five years of training and several accolades at domestic and international junior tournaments.
“From our conversations, I learned the importance of maintaining rhythm for consistent swings,” Bao Huy said. “I also picked up insights on mental focus and tournament preparation.”
“Getting to interact with the legends inspired me to improve my chipping and putting,” another young golfer, Nguyen Kien Anh, reflected on his experience at the Cam Ranh event.
“I hope to play in more events like this going forward.”
The Vietnam Legends Championship 2025 is part of a broader initiative to position the tournament among Ho Chi Minh City’s top 10 signature sports and cultural diplomacy events this year, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s Reunification (April 30).
The tournament schedule is as follows:
From August 29 to September 27, 144 athletes arrive in Vietnam to engage in networking, sightseeing, golf practice, and community events at local universities.
On September 16, the official signing ceremony between the organizing committee, sponsors, and media partners was held at the headquarters of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports.
From September 18 to 20, Race to Legends 1 and 2 took place at Dalat Golf Club in Lam Dong Province and KN Golf Links Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province.
The following legs, Race to Legends 3 and 4, will be held from October 23 to 25 at Long Thanh Golf Club in Dong Nai Province and Royal Long An in Tay Ninh Province.
From November 13 to 15, the Vietnam-Dubai Economic Forum and trade exhibition will be held in Dubai, aiming to promote commercial cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE.
Finally, the culminating event of the tour — the Vietnam Legends Championship 2025 at Tan Son Nhat Golf Course in Ho Chi Minh City from November 25 to 30 — will determine final rankings.
