World No. 2 golfer Lilia Vu will not defend her title at the Chevron Championship.
The LPGA superstar withdrew due to an injury before Thursday’s tee time. back flare up during warm-up.
She explained her decision to withdraw from the tournament on Instagram.
“I have been battling a back injury for a while now. Some days are better than others, but unfortunately today was not a good day,” she wrote. “During my regular warm-up, I felt severe discomfort in my back and felt that I could not compete until I reached my standard, so I made the decision to withdraw from the tournament before tee time.”
This season hasn’t gone well for Vu.
She has one top-10 finish and a T7th place at the Honda LPGA Thailand. After this event, Vu withdrew from consecutive events. She finished 37th in the Far Hills Seripak Championship and tied for 21st in her last start, the Ford Championship.
This back injury is not new. She had a scare last year and took a month off while she healed. Vu explained that although her injuries are healing, they can still come back. It caused problems at the Blue Bay LPGA event in China earlier this year.
Before the Chevron Championship, Vu felt “95% accomplished.”
“It’s been a tough few months, battling injuries,” she said. “I’m starting to get a little bit scared. There was a time when I cried a lot on the practice field because my lower back couldn’t handle it. If I can stay healthy this week, I think I’ll be able to do what I need to do.”
The 26-year-old burst onto the scene last year, winning two majors. Vu also won the Rolex Player of the Year Award, becoming the first American to win this honor since Stacey Lewis in 2014.
The former UCLA Bruin has been working to stay healthy, and this absence marks the third time she has missed an event.
Vu was scheduled to play Thursday at 2:10 p.m. ET with Minjee Lee and Nelly Korda.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
