SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – While Paris marks the first Olympics appearance for Team USA’s Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang, they’re no strangers to wearing the red, white and blue. Between them, they’ve represented the Stars and Stripes a whopping 14 times already, but there’s nothing old hat about it ahead of Wednesday’s opening tee shot.
“I'm always so proud to wear red, white and blue,” said Vu, who’s made five appearances on national teams including at the 2018 Curtis Cup and 2023 Solheim Cup. “There's nothing that tops representing the United States for me, and I get really emotional thinking about it too much, so I try not to think too much about that. I take a lot of pride, and I can't wait to go out there and play tomorrow.”
“I totally agree,” added Zhang, who’s played in nine national team competitions including two Curtis Cups (2021, 2022) and the 2023 Solheim Cup. “You know, just back in junior golf, you play Junior Solheim Cup and then you play the Curtis Cup in amateur golf and then you play for USA on a couple other levels, but the Olympics is such a different level in terms of representing your country.
“Everyone is tuning in to watch and supporting. So, it's always a real great honor for us athletes, and I think it's the highest regard or standard for us to be able to represent the United States, our countries.”
The two look to follow in the footsteps of U.S. teammate Scottie Scheffler, who rallied from four shots back to capture gold on Sunday at Le Golf National. They were at the course Sunday, glued to the TV in the players’ lounge as they watched Scheffler finish with a 9-under 62 to tie the course record and step on the top spot of the podium.
Along with taking in the men’s competition, the women have been able to enjoy a taste of the Olympics. They’ve visited the Team USA House, went to a night of the swimming competition and engaged in an Olympic tradition: pin trading. In fact, both women listed “more pins” as a goal for the Games – a little like Scheffler’s now-well-known goal of “have fun.”
“The Olympics is a special time, and you're a part of something that's not just yourself but your country,” said Zhang, whose favorite pin so far is a “little French macaroon. “And also, not just your sport but other sports as well. It's nice to get out a little bit. I think there's always moderation; that's key. You always want to be competitive and have a competitive edge. … I think it is cool to experience a little bit of everything, though.”
For Vu, who only received her first pin 24 hours ago, her credential neck ribbon is already glinting with tiny treasures. Her favorite? A little boba tea pin that features the Eiffel Tower, given to her by Wei-Ling Hsu of Chinese Taipei. But all fun aside, it’s the glimmer of gold that Vu says would be the greatest treasure of all.
“To me, (a gold medal) would rank a little higher than a major, I think in the sense that you're playing for your country and it's more than just golf,” said Vu, a two-time major winner. “It's the Olympics, which is the best athletes all over the world. So, a little higher for me.”
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