Lilia Vu Has Player Of The Year Glory In Her Sights After Claiming Fourth LPGA Tour Title Of 2023

Lilia Vu showed her class again on Sunday at The Annika Driven by Gainbridge en route to wrapping up a fourth LPGA Tour win of the season, a victory that will see the American return to the World No.1 spot.

The 26-year-old began the day three shots behind Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, but finished the day victorious by the same margin, with Allison Lee and Azahara Munoz in second.

It was Vu’s second victory in her past six starts and her sparkling four-under 66 in the final round sees her return to the top of the Rolex Rankings and increase the likelihood of being crowned LPGA Tour player of the year.

With victories at the Honda LPGA Thailand, Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open already this season, Vu was the one to watch on Sunday and, although the two-time Major champion said the “wheels were kind of falling off a little bit on the back nine”, she birdied 15 and 16 to re-establish her authority.

From there, Vu was able to coast home, and she now finds herself 27 points clear of Frenchwoman Celine Boutier in the points-based LPGA player of the year race going into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

“I think like each win of mine has had its own battle, and I think today was again myself,” Vu said. “The wheels were kind of falling off a little bit on the back nine, then (caddie Cole Pensanti) just said, ‘hey, just play your game and one shot at a time and we can make any putt from anywhere’, so just kept that positive mindset up.

“I think that flipped my mindset. I was getting negative and then just flipped a switch and just thought positive thoughts, and then it just all worked itself out.”

It proved to be a cruel day for Solheim Cup star Pedersen, who was looking for her maiden title on the LPGA Tour. However, a double-bogey at the last saw her finish outside of the top 60 in the season-long standing, which means she failed to qualify for the CME Group Tour Championship.

Fellow European Madelene Sagstrom missed the cut and appeared to fall out of the top 60 when Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia closed with a 67 to share fifth, although Pedersen's untidy finish means the Swede advances to next week's season finale.