The Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) officially unveiled its comprehensive 2026 Golf Tournament System during a formal ceremony held on the evening of January 15 at Long Bien Golf Course in Hanoi.

Here are key highlights from the announcement ceremony:

Building on a successful 2025 season, which featured a stable national competition framework, professionally organized events, and strong support from VG Corp (operator of the VGA Tour and Vietnam Amateur Series) as well as title sponsor Nam A Bank, the VGA continues to strengthen its leadership in Vietnam's golf development. The association also earned international recognition by successfully hosting the prestigious Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship, organized in partnership with The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Federation.

For the 2026 season, the VGA plans an expanded program that includes:

• More than 10 professional tournaments
• 7 amateur tournaments
• 6 junior tournaments

This represents the largest and most ambitious schedule to date, with a focus on elevating professional standards, broadening participation, and deepening international integration.

Professional Tournament System: VGA Tour & VGA Development Tour

The professional calendar will feature over 10 events across the VGA Tour and VGA Development Tour.

Here is an overview of the professional tournament schedule:

The VGA Tour highlights include three major championships:

• Vietnam Masters — Vietnam's longest-running professional event, continuing its inclusion in the Asian Development Tour for the third year. It offers prize money exceeding 2 billion VND, making it the country's richest professional tournament.
• Royal Cup
• National Sports Festival - National Championship — Returning after a four-year absence, this event gathers provincial and city delegations to compete in Men's Individual, Women's Individual, Men's Team, and Women's Team categories. It will also serve as the 2026 National Championship within the professional system.

The VGA Development Tour will expand further, incorporating familiar events such as the Emerald Cup, Trang An Classic, and Hanoi Open, while adding new tournaments in both northern and southern regions. The aim is to provide Vietnamese professionals with more regular competitive opportunities, experience, and financial support for regional and international advancement.

Vietnam Amateur Series

The Vietnam Amateur Series will consist of 7 tournaments tailored to various amateur categories, building on the momentum from 2025.

Key events include:

• The return of the VGA Union Cup, a prestigious North vs South team competition modeled after the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. It features top single-handicap players in formats such as Foursomes, Four-ball, and Singles. Since its debut in 2016, it has established itself as a leading national team event.
• The biennial National Golf Club Championship, with separate men's and women's divisions.
• The reintroduction of the Vietnam Mid-Amateur Championship for adult amateurs not pursuing professional careers.
• Continued core events such as the National Amateur Men's and Women's Championships and National Senior Championships.

The VGA will also refine the vHandicap system to streamline registration, handicap verification, and results management, particularly benefiting local amateur events.

Hanwha Life VGA Junior Tour 2026

The junior program, now in its fourth year, serves as a key platform for talent identification and development, with many participants earning spots on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and contributing to national team success.

For 2026, the Hanwha Life VGA Junior Tour introduces a restructured ranking and scoring system, with six Tier 1 tournaments as the core. The VGA will also support additional events hosted by local associations, courses, and clubs. Tournaments will adopt international standards and open participation to Asia-Pacific athletes to raise competitiveness.

Hanwha Life Insurance joins as the title sponsor, underscoring a commitment to nurturing Vietnam's next generation of golfers.

The 2026 season positions the VGA to further advance golf's growth across professional, amateur, and youth levels in Vietnam, while strengthening ties with the international golf community.

For the original story please visit Vietnam.vn