Lilia Vu plunges into pond to celebrate first major victory at Chevron

Lilia Vu survived the sudden death playoff at the LPGA Chevron Championship with a one stroke win over Angel Yin at 10-under.

Lilia Vu’s rise from four strokes behind leaders Angel Yin and Allison Corpuz to first-time major winner at the Chevron Championship was an exciting run of bold confidence

A stellar birdie on the 13th put 24-year-old Yin into solo lead, but costly bogies on the 16th and 17th holes set her back, allowing Vu to capitalize. However, Yin’s crucial birdie on the par-five 18th helped her secure a possible first LPGA Tour win.

Coming from behind, Lilia Vu had been inching up the leaderboard all day, putting two birdies on the second, third and eighth holes. While a bogey on the par-four ninth stalled her rise, the 25-year-old American surged with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th, setting up the playoff with competitor Yin.

Sudden death it was at the Woodlands, TX venue, with Lilia Vu seamlessly lining up the par-five 18th with a birdie putt that got her a second LPGA win, her first major and a $765,000 paycheck.

“I can’t even put it into words how I was feeling. I was nervous, I was scared, I was cold. I just wanted to hit the putt,” Vu said after winning the playoff, according to Sports Illustrated. “I just wanted to be done with it. I saw my line and speed, I knew it was going to be a fast putt and I trusted myself.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” explained Vu, who had spent the last few years regaining her confidence from being demoted to the Epson Tour after a sensational debut season in 2019. COVID delayed a return to the main draw, with the death of her grandfather in 2020 dealing her an emotional blow.

Vu said she had to work on her confidence to get to such a moment like Sunday.

“All the bad things, everything I’ve ever struggled through, family-wise, internally. I think myself as the biggest obstacle. I mean I had a pretty tough, not easy past two days. I was definitely my own enemy and I don’t know how I pulled this out. I’m just really happy and proud of [my caddie] Cole [Pensanti] and I for doing this,” she said.

Lilia Vu took a plunge into Poppies Pong to celebrate first major victory at Chevron

With the momentous win in the books, and as per tradition, the two-time LPGA winner leapt into Poppie’s Pond, a murkier version of the clear manmade body of water from the previous venue at Mission Hills.

Even more impressive was her caddie’s artistic leap:

The shot of the day, however, probably belonged to Nelly Korda, who fired off an eagle on the very last hole, boosting her into third position, finishing with a 71. Her consolation prize results in the American getting back her World No. 1 ranking position once more.

Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul had been in contention all day, but a devastating mishit into the water landed her a double bogey on the last hole, dashing her hopes in the final moments, and placing her into fourth with an 8-under finish.

It was a disappointing conclusion for what had otherwise been a spectacular day of golf for the 20-year old.

“I know I have a chance to make a birdie, and then I trying to make it happen,” Thitikul said afterward, according to the Golf Channel. “But just maybe some misunderstanding with the wind, the number that I played, and that’s it. I think I hit it pretty good, like not behind the ball. I hit it pretty solid, but it just went like that because maybe misunderstanding with the wind.”

The Top 4 placement was the young, talented golfer’s fourth straight T8 finish, with the Thai golfing sensation already having collected two LPGA titles in addition to her four wins on the Ladies European Tour. It’s only a matter of time before she acquires a major.

Chevron was the first major of the year for the LPGA Tour. Next up for the LPGA is the JM Eagle LA Championship next weekend, April 27-30.