The Woodlands, Texas — Five year ago, it was conceivable for Lilia Vu, the most successful player in UCLA women’s history with eight victories, to say nothing of her titles at the World Amateur Team Championships, Curtis Cup, and Palmer Cup, that she pictured herself sitting atop a leaderboard after 36 holes at a major.
But only a few years ago? The grind of a debut LPGA in 2019 sucked all the life from her golfing game, and she was relegated to two years on the Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour)?
“Two Years Ago, Maybe Not.” Vu, who shot a 32 at the Chevron Championship on Friday, said that she has grown since joining COVID and never looked back.
“I had a terrible attitude my first year. “I was in a bad mindset my rookie year. I believe there is always a way to solve any problem. I try to remain positive even when I’m angry. I try to be positive and look up.”
Vu has a lot to be happy about. Vu, who followed up his Thursday 68 with a streaky 69 Friday, walked off The Club at Carlton Woods’ Nicklaus Course atop the Leaderboard which also includes names such as Patty Tavatanakit or Nelly Korda.
Vu’s performance is a far cry compared to the first year when he only made one cut out of nine starts, and won a staggering $3,830 in prize money. The LPGA’s first big major of the season will pay out $765,000.
Cole Pensanti is Lilia Vu’s caddie. He points out the spot she should putt on the 16th hole during the second round 2023 Chevron championship. (Photo: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)
Vu is sure to face challenges over the next couple of days. The weather forecast could affect Saturday’s tee time. In the second round she faced adversity when she made back-to back bogeys at Nos. She struggled on Nos. 15 and 16 but recovered with a birdie at the final hole. A driver who was unstoppable on the front nine, found some rough.
Tavatanakit is the champion of 2021 and the field is thicker than the Bermudagrass that lines the fairways. Tavatanakit is just one shot behind Vu after a 31-point font. She claimed that during her second round 67, she was “in a zone” and taking each shot one by one. Nelly Korda is also T-2 with 6 under after 36 holes.
Vu’s final realisation of her potential, which many have been waiting to see for a long time, could be this week. The 25-year old has shot 70 in at least 13 of her 14 round this season. She won her first LPGA title, in Thailand, in February. Since then she’s added three top-15 finishes.
She attributes her improved resilience to a stronger mental fortitude and the caddie Cole Pensanti. Vu is confident that if she wins her first major she will need to use all the lessons she has learned from a period that saw her in some dark places.
“I believe it’s all mental.” “I just wanted to win at the end of last year and put so much pressure on myself. Now I’m just trying to have fun and let whatever happens happen,” she said. “It’s probably just a collection of self-help books and personal development materials I’ve been reading over the course of COVID. I had plenty of time to read them.”
“I remind myself that this is a tough week. Everyone is going to make errors. The key is how you recover from them. I try to make birdie on the next hole, and let go. It’s a lot of work. “I think Cole is doing a great job at trying to put me in a better mood. But yeah, I am just trying to be kind to myself this week.”
