In just her fourth tournament back since taking a two-month hiatus to rehab a lingering back injury, Lilia Vu is once again near the top of a leaderboard, this time sitting in a tie for sixth with 18 holes to play at the CPKC Women’s Open.
She won the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in her first start since she withdrew from her title defense at The Chevron Championship and then followed that up with a T2 showing at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club in June.
Vu finished in a tie for 26th at The Amundi Evian Championship earlier this month in Evian-les-Bains, France, and now finds herself lurking in the top 10 at the CPKC Women’s Open, seven shots back of 54-hole leader Haeran Ryu.
The five-time LPGA Tour winner began her week with a 1-under 71 at Early Grey Golf Club, and Vu followed that up with a 2-under 70 in round two, making one double bogey, one bogey and five birdies to get to 3-under overall for the tournament and sit in a tie for fourth with 36 holes to play.
Saturday saw Vu’s consistency continue as the two-time major champion posted a 3-under 69 in the third round, this time making three bogeys and six birdies, two of which came on the back-to-back par 5s, 14 and 15. It was a Moving Day effort that felt simpler for the three-time Epson Tour winner, but there is still an aspect of her game that Vu feels like she needs to clean up if she wants a shot at a sixth career victory in Canada.
“I felt like today was sort of an easier day because (there was) less wind and some moved-up tees,” said Vu after her third round. “But I didn't drive the ball well. I think I hit five fairways today. The first day, I hit four, so we're improving. I think I've been struggling a little bit off the tee, and then it really pays to be in the fairway so you can stop the ball.
“The rough is really thick out here. I learned that a lot today. It felt like every hole basically I was in the rough, so maybe not (Sunday).”
While she will have a seven-shot deficit to make up at the start of the final round, Vu is no stranger to chasing on Sunday. Of her five LPGA Tour victories, the 26-year-old has only ever led once through 54 holes, doing so at the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath Golf Club, a tournament she won by six shots over Charley Hull.
Vu was six shots behind Natthakritta Vongtaveelap when she became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand, and she was four shots back at the start of the final round of last year’s Chevron Championship, ultimately winning in a playoff over Angel Yin at The Club at Carlton Woods.
She was three shots behind Emily Kristine Pedersen at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican last November before winning by three shots over Alison Lee and Azahara Munoz. And Vu overcame an eight-shot disadvantage earlier this season in Belmont, Mich., to get into a three-way playoff with Grace Kim and Lexi Thompson, winning for a fifth time on Tour after outlasting the pair in a three-hole playoff at Blythefield Country Club.
So, Vu isn’t a player to count out on Sunday in Canada, even with seven shots separating her and Ryu, and she has a simple gameplan for the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open, one that she hopes will generate more birdie opportunities on which she can capitalize.
“I just need to hit the fairways. That's all I'm trying to do (on Sunday),” said Vu. “I know it's really tough out here because if the wind gets up, you have to adjust your starting line, and if you put too much curve on the ball – I hit right-to-left draws, so it's already left to begin with. I have to work on that.”
But even if she isn’t able to do the improbable once again on Sunday at the CPKC Women’s Open, there is still plenty for Vu to look forward to in the coming weeks, namely the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Vu will make her Olympic debut in the women’s golf competition at Le Golf National in Paris, France, representing Team USA alongside reigning gold medalist Nelly Korda and two-time LPGA Tour winner Rose Zhang.
Even though she didn’t get to partake in the Opening Ceremony held on Friday evening in France, Vu is as ecstatic as ever that she gets to be a part of the Games in the coming days, a dream come true for an athlete who almost completely quit her sport a few years ago.
“I saw Morgan Pressel's Instagram story, and I got really emotional from it,” said Vu. “I think there were about 500 USA athletes, 500 something. I’m getting pretty emotional from it. I can't wait to be there.”
And though playing good golf will certainly be at the forefront of her mind once the first tee shots are struck on August 7, Vu is more worried about soaking up every aspect of the Olympic experience, particularly interested in interacting with her fellow Olympians from other countries as they all chase the podium in Paris.
“I actually bought some of my own pins to trade with people,” Vu shared. “Hopefully, I'm able to meet people from other countries and different sports at the Olympic Village.”
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