Lilia Vu was on fire in Thailand’s windy day. The former UCLA star began day six back, birdied two of the first three holes and was a standout. Vu won the round after a string five consecutive birdies at the mid-round. She beat Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (a rookie LPGA player who was playing in the Honda LPGA Thailand under a sponsor exemption) to take the lead.
Vu has never looked back.
Vu stated, “Today I basically blacked out” and tried to birdie every hole. “If I failed, you can move on and try again.
“I went into the scoring tent, but I didn’t know what I shot.”
Vu, 25, was making her Honda debut and carded a bogey free 64 on Sunday. She finished at 22 under and clip Vongtaveelap (71) one stroke short of her first LPGA title. Former World No. After a closing 68, 1 Atthaya Thitikul was back two.
Vu was able to hit 11 fairways, 11 greens, and only needed 21 putts Sunday. He also put in a long putt for par on Saturday 17th to keep the lead.
Vu said, “I knew that I was going to win.” It was only when.
Lilia Vu, USA, plays her second shot at the 18th green during the final round Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club, February 26, 2023 in Chon Buri. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images).
A number of top names, including the current World No.1, finished in sixth place. Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko were also sixth, as was Leona Maguire, Jin Young Ko, Lydia Ko, and Nelly Korda.
Jin Young, who sustained a wrist injury in the last season’s tournament, said that meditating has greatly helped her over the offseason. Since the 2022 Amundi Evian, Thailand was the first tournament where Ko had recorded four rounds in the 60s.
Next week, she’ll defend her title in Singapore.
Jin Young stated that he cried a lot last season in front of his parents. “But, yeah, golf has a lot ups and downs so it is important to keep our focus on my game and work hard to improve.” It works, I believe.”
Lydia Ko, winner of the LET last week in Saudi Arabia, stated that her putting was not as strong in Thailand.
Vongtaveelap was making it difficult with a double-bogey at the second and third holes. She earned her LPGA card through Q-Series last Dec and was playing in her first tour event as an LPGA member.
She said, “I need more practice on playing against strong winds.”
Clutch par-putt by @TheLiliaVu at 17 to keep her lead of 1!
Watch the @hondalpgath finish on @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/DOR87xqDjw
LPGA (@LPGA February 26, 2023
Vu won $255,000, bringing her career earnings up to $1,177.769.
Vu was frustrated that she had not won a trophy after finishing in the top three on three occasions last year.
She said, “It feels really good to do it.” “I felt like I placed a lot pressure on myself at last year’s end, and I changed my mindset during the off-season. It was always clear that I would win. I just had to let it happen.
“The longer you hold on to something, the further it seems away.” I was very close to the end of last season. I decided to just have fun and enjoy the game, and it would all work out.
Vu earned $3,830 during her first year on 2019’s LPGA. With eight titles, Vu was the UCLA’s winningest player. She considered quitting and enrolling in law school.
Vu’s mom convinced her to stick with the course.
Vu stated that she was in a very negative mindset even during her rookie year. “I didn’t feel like I was part of the family. Every shot felt like it was life or death. Because I was so nervous, I would stare at the ball and set it up and not know where I was going.
Vu lost her credit card and ended up at an Epson Tour event early 2020. Vu had just gone to see her grandfather, who was ill, and told her in Vietnamese: “Go play well.” Do your best.
He died shortly after they returned to California.
Vu said, “It hit me really hard that I was in a bad place with my golf,” and the last thing he said to me was “play well.”
“Like out all the things, it’s like he’s struggling and he was thinking about me. That’s what I think of every day.
Vu opened 2023 by taking a third place at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. Stacy Lewis, the Solheim Cup Captain of the United States, gave Vu a book with a note inside. It said that she was good at playing. Vu, a former top-ranked amateur and a frequent US representative, loves team events. As part of her vision board, she has a picture from the Solheim Cup past team on her wall.
Lewis was so impressed with Vu’s play that he predicted that Vu wouldn’t even require a pick to be on the team last year.
Vu confessed that she nearly had a panic attack before leaving for Saudi Arabia. She thought she had had enough time to prepare but didn’t feel her game was sharpening enough.
She said, “And I was wrong.”
