U.S. National Team Captain Stacy Lewis has welcomed a second team member to the 19th Solheim Cup. From Sept. 13-15 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, the U.S. National Team will try to reclaim the cup on home soil against the European teams.
On Tuesday, former world No. 1 Lilia Vu earned enough points to secure a spot on the 2024 national team. She tied for second in the KPMG Women’s Professional Golf Championship, earning a total of 1,932.50 points through the qualifying period.
From the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament through the final day of the AIG Women’s Open on Aug. 25, players can earn points and earn a spot on the Solheim Cup team.
All five of her LPGA victories have come in that span, and she was named Rolex Player of the Year last season after winning four times, including two majors.
Vu battled a back injury this season that forced her to withdraw from the Chevron Championship and take two months off, but her first tournament back was a few weeks ago when she won her fifth title at the Major LPGA Classic, beating Grace Kim and Lexi Thompson in a three-hole playoff.
Despite his back problems, Lewis knows his experience at Virginia will be extremely beneficial.
“It’s been so exciting to see how she’s played her last two matches, coming back from injury and winning and really picking up where she left off,” Lewis said on the LPGA. press release.
“She’s a great all-around player, from striking the ball to putting. We’re excited for her to return to the Solheim Cup for the second time and have the opportunity to step up as a leader on our team.”
Vu made her Solheim Cup debut last year and qualified for the U.S. team. She defeated Madeleine Sagstrom in her singles match at Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain, finishing with a record of 1 win, 3 losses and 0 draws.
The former UCLA golfer is the second automatic qualifier for the U.S. team in 2024. She joins current world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who qualified after the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Korda has six wins since the start of 2024 and holds a commanding lead in the points race.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Instagram: @savannah_leigh_sports
