Somehow, Lilia Vu is an LPGA winner again.
Vu, the No. 2 player in the world behind Nelly Korda, has been battling a back injury for much of the season. She missed the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago and was forced to withdraw from the Chevron Championship in April because of a back injury. But Vu overcame the ailment to win the Mayer LPGA Classic in a thrilling victory by eight strokes on Sunday.
Vu shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday to climb the leaderboard and finish at 16-under par after 72 holes, tying her with Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim. It took three holes for the trio to decide the winner, but Vu ultimately sealed the win with a birdie putt on the third hole of the playoff.
“I wasn’t thinking about winning,” Vu said.
“Today was a really good day. My swing felt really good. I just came back from injury and didn’t know my swing, so it was a little bit floating. It felt like I didn’t know where my arms were when I wasn’t tense. Today I just tried to make contact. That’s all.”
Like Vu, Thompson made it into the playoff after a comeback with a 4-under 68 on Sunday, while Kim, who was leading after 54 holes, shot a 1-over 73 on Sunday to drop back down the rankings.
All three women birdied the first two holes heading into the par-5 fourth hole. After each player reached the green in regulation, Thompson and Kim missed putts to extend the playoff, while Vu Drowned her Birdie putt for victory.
“My philosophy on putting is very simple: it’s either in or it’s not in,” Vu said.
“I don’t put too much pressure on myself. It takes the pressure off me and helps me work harder.”
Vu has experience with come-from-behind victories, having won her first LPGA title in February 2023 in Thailand after coming from six strokes behind.
“When I won that first one, I felt like I was wearing blinders,” Vu said.
“I was just focused on getting birdies in the final round. That’s how I felt today. I felt like I missed a birdie. So I got a chance for a playoff, I went to my box and my caddie said, ‘You’ve got nothing to lose now,’ and we just went out there and played.”
Vu said this victory was one of the most meaningful to him because he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to play golf again without pain.
But clearly, she can.
Now Vu has her fifth LPGA victory under her belt and is looking to play in another major next week at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, hoping her back will hold up at Sahalee.
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
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
