This year’s BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang will be an even more enticing playing opportunity for players on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) as organisers announced today that the event’s prize money will be increased to US$100,000 – up from US$75,000 last year.

SeABank, the tournament’s newest partner, have facilitated this by topping up the purse with US$25,000 – ensuring there will be plenty to play for when the tournament tees off at Da Nang Golf Resort on August 31 until September 2.

The BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang was inaugurated last year – marking the first time the ADT had visited Vietnam.

Said Ken Kudo, Associate Director, Partnerships, Asian Tour: “More positive news today regarding the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang! The tournament is deserving of an increased purse, even though it is in its infancy, and this is indicative of our plans to help build it into an even bigger tournament.”

The event, which was so warmly welcomed and praised by competitors on the ADT last year, is the ADT’s only stop in Vietnam, although plans are afoot for more visits to the emerging golf nation.

A spokesperson from SeABank, the popular retail and commercial bank based in Hanoi now with 2.6 million customers, said: “Following the huge success of last year’s BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang, SeABank leaders wanted to get in on the action and partner with the tournament, as golf is becoming more and more popular with our customer base. Getting on board during the growth of both this international standard event, and the game, echoes our strategy to become ‘SeABank – the golfers bank’ for Vietnam.”

China’s Chen Guxin won the tournament last year, appropriately on Vietnam’s National Day, after beating Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines in a sudden-death play-off.

Said Kudo, at a press conference a few weeks ago to unveil this year’s edition: “Importantly, this year’s event will play a key role in promoting the city of Da Nang as a tourist and golfing destination. It is also part of the Da Nang Golf Tourism Festival and will act as a platform to inspire young Vietnamese golfers to purse professional golf as a career.”

“The country enjoyed great success at the SEA Games this year, with Le Khanh Hung winning gold and Nguyen Anh Minh bronze in the men’s individual event. Their performances helped Vietnam claim silver in the team competition, and we are confident the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang will build on this momentum.”

The tournament will boast a diverse international field of 144 players from across the region, including 99 ADT members who will play alongside 20 professionals nominated by the Vietnam Golf Association.