Lilia Vu claimed her first LPGA Tour victory of the season after defeating Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim in a play-off on the Meijer LPGA Traditional.
Vu overturned an eight-shot deficit throughout an exhilarating last day at Blythefield Nation Membership, carding a bogey-free 65 to complete on 16 below alongside Kim – who squandered a five-shot in a single day lead – and Thompson.
The trio all birdied the par-five 18th in each the primary two further play-off holes, earlier than Vu carded a successful birdie on the third further play-off gap – as Thompson and Kim may solely make par – to assert her fifth LPGA Tour title and first of the yr.
Lexi Thompson congratulated Lilia Vu after her play-off victory
“I simply could not imagine it,” Vu mentioned. “I could not imagine I received this week. I believe I used to be setting my bar actually low in order that I may meet it. I believe as a result of I are inclined to get in my very own manner after I’m attempting to win, that is after I do not win more often than not, so simply attempting to remain in my lane, reap the benefits of all the great pictures, and make all of the birdie putts that I get.”
Vu’s comeback was one shot bigger than final week’s seven-shot deficit overturned by Linnea Strom of Sweden on the ShopRite LPGA Traditional, with 4 birdies over the ultimate six holes serving to her put up the low spherical of the day.
Thompson birdied the 18th to card a four-under 68 and tie Vu, whereas Kim made one birdie and eight pars throughout the again 9 of her final-round 73 and failed to carry on to her sizeable in a single day benefit.
Vu received 4 occasions in 2023 and will probably be among the many favourites for the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship, reside on Sky Sports activities, having missed final month’s US Ladies’s Open whereas combating a again harm.
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Highlights from the ultimate spherical of the 2023 AIG Ladies’s Open at Walton Heath, the place Lilia Vu claimed her second main title of the season.
“It is onerous to really feel 100 per cent, however I believe I have been 95 per cent and I believe, clearly, I performed greater than 18 holes right now, so form of feeling slightly tight,” Vu mentioned. “It is all good. It is not the identical as earlier than.”
Thompson, the 11-time LPGA Tour winner who introduced final month that she is going to retire from full-time competitors on the finish of the season, got here up simply wanting ending her five-year title drought.
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“Figuring out I used to be 5 pictures behind beginning the day, I knew I needed to have the pedal down and make a number of birdies from the soar,” Thompson mentioned. “I can solely management what I can management, so I simply tried to focus one shot at a time and play inside myself and my feelings. That is all I may do. No matter occurs with the end result occurred, so proud of the end result.”
Ally Ewing had a string of 4 straight birdies on her entrance 9 and briefly touched 17 below for the event, however a bogey-bogey-birdie end left her in fourth spot. Allisen Corpuz and South Korea’s Narin An each carded final-round 70s to share fifth.
What’s subsequent?
The ladies’s main season continues on the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship, held at Sahalee Nation Membership in Washington and all 4 rounds reside on Sky Sports activities. Reside protection begins on Thursday from 9pm through the crimson button and 11pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the LPGA, majors and extra with NOW.