‘That’s Just Crazy To Me’ - Lilia Vu On Becoming New World No.1

With the women’s Major season coming to an end, there is a new name atop the Rolex women’s world rankings after Lilia Vu stormed to a six-shot victory at the AIG Women’s Open.

Vu shared the overnight lead with home favourite Charley Hull but fired the low round of the day to clinch the win in comprehensive fashion at Walton Heath Golf Club. 

The victory marks her second Major championship triumph of the season after capturing the Chevron Championship in April. Combined with her maiden LPGA Tour title at the Honda LPGA Thailand back in February, Vu is now projected to overtake fellow American Nelly Korda and become World No. 1 for the first time. 

“Being the best in the world, that's just crazy to me,” Vu said speaking after her Women’s Open victory. “Just thinking about the struggle I had this year and just to come out with that has been - it's just incredible.”

This year, as with her entire career, has not been entirely plain sailing for Vu. Having broken her Major championship duck at the Chevron, the 25-year-old then missed the cut in four of her next five events. That run included a torrid performance at the US Women’s Open where she shot rounds of 79 and 82 to miss the cut by eleven strokes.

“It's just been a crazy year for me, just doing pretty well at the beginning of the season and just hit a lull in the middle, just struggling,” Vu reflected. 

“I was still just getting out the scar tissue from the U.S. Open and just playing so horribly there, and just not feeling like myself. I thought the Chevron and winning in Honda and Thailand, that was going to be it for me for my career.”

Her transformation also marks a remarkable comeback after a nightmare rookie season in 2019 which saw her make just one cut in nine events. She would eventually lose her LPGA Tour card and at one point considered retirement after her troubles continued on the Symestra Tour.

“I went back down to Symetra Tour and I couldn't even contend there,” she said. 

“I was almost dead last at every event. I wanted to put the clubs away and maybe do something else, but my mom, she always told me I was good enough have to compete out here and be the best. She's really my rock and the reason why I'm here.”

Three victories on the development tour the following year in 2021 would eventually see Vu regain her LPGA Tour status. After a solid season last year, Vu has now broken through, fulfilling her amateur potential and cementing herself as one of the game’s emerging stars.