Lilia Vu paces Team USA players, in contention early for medal at 2024 Olympics

August 7, 2024

Lilia Vu has signed up to shoot a 2-under 70 in the first round of the 2024 Olympics.

She was the only member of the U.S. team to finish under par, as Nelly Korda and Rose Chan both shot even-par 72s.

Vu started well at four under par after seven holes, but her performance dropped off midway through the round.

Despite their strong start, their warm-up wasn’t perfect, with Vu explaining that their warm-up was a mess and they didn’t feel good for the match.

“I had a bit of imposter syndrome,” Vu said, “like, why am I here now? But it’s OK, I just try my best and hopefully it will get better. I’m the one who gets in my own way. It’s like being my own enemy basically… I find a way to get out, I always do.”

She dropped a stroke on the par-5 ninth hole, but then reeled off five straight pars. The world No. 2 golfer made her final birdie on the 15th hole to get back to four under par for the day, but went two over on her final three holes for a 70.

On a course like Le Golf National, signing a score under par means a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, a bogey is no big deal.

This week marks Vu’s Olympic debut, and the 26-year-old has seemed to enjoy every moment of the journey. She was constantly smiling and seemed almost elated by the whole experience.

Ahead of the competition, Vu dropped the microphone and envisaged winning a medal as the ultimate achievement.

“To me, it ranks a little bit higher than a major tournament. It’s more than just golf in the sense that you’re playing for your country,” Vu said Tuesday. “It’s the Olympics and it brings together the best athletes from all over the world.”

The former UCLA golfer is playing alongside French player Celine Boutier, who is currently leading the tournament after shooting a 7-under 65 on the first day, and has seen firsthand just how much the French crowd went crazy for their countryman.

“It was really cool to see all the fans cheering for her,” Vu explained. “On the 15th hole, I felt like my mindset changed. I’m playing for my country, where they rescued my family on their boat. So I’m playing for more than just myself. I’m trying to give back to my country and win a medal.”

She said the crowd reminded her of the British Open when she was playing alongside English player Charlie Hull.

“Because it’s the Olympics, we have more fans,” she said, “and I think there are people here who aren’t golf fans. Today was kind of special. But it’s really cool to see. Everybody is rooting for her like crazy. And they’re not against me. They’re rooting for me.”

The Olympics awakens people’s patriotism. People love to cheer on the athletes representing their country. The crowds are huge and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Vu is five strokes behind Boutier heading into the second round. She is tied for third place with Gaby Lopez, Morgan Metrau and Mariajo Uribe. Ashley Buhai is in sole second place with a 4-under 68.

A member of Team USA, she has a shot at a medal, but she has 54 holes to play. Although she’s not having the best season, battling injuries, Boo’s game is coming back at just the right time. She’s a special player who knows what it takes to compete on such a big stage.

Now, the five-time LPGA champion has to believe in herself and believe she has what it takes to be an Olympic medalist.

Vu, Boutier and Amy Yang will compete in the second round of the 2024 Olympic women’s golf competition at Le Golf National, starting at 3:55 a.m. ET.

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 Her Instagram account is @golf_girl_sl.