Lilia Vu started Sunday in a tie for 34that the Meijer, and didn’t feel all that good with the putter, but decided to adopt a more aggressive mindset for the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Her plan worked rather nicely.
“I was like, I have nothing to lose, final day, I’m just going to try to play my best and birdie every single hole.” she said.
Vu didn’t birdie all of them, but did birdie half, which was a nice way to finish. There was only one blemish on her card – she pulled her tee shot at the par-4 17th,hit a tree with her second, and made double – but regrouped to make one last birdie at 18 to shoot 7-under 65.
She said she will carry those positive vibes into her next start at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“It’s really big. I didn’t think it was a big factor, but I ended pretty poorly at my last event, at the U.S. Open, so I think that’s where … at the beginning of that week I was kind of shaky, didn’t have a lot of confidence.”
Vu went out in 35 strokes in her last round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, and returned in 44 shots. She said it took her time this week to rebuild confidence.
“It was basically from that event,” she said. “It just completely destroyed me on the back nine. And then I think this really helps out with momentum for next week.”
Vu earned a card via the Epson Tour last season. It’s her second run at the LPGA. Her rookie season arrived straight out of college, and it proved eye-opening.
“I think I grew up a lot. I went straight from college to LPGA,” she said. “I thought it was going to be like la-tee-da, having fun with teammates and it was going to be so fun, and people are really serious out here.
“I know it’s their job and all that stuff and there is money on the line, but I had to basically grow up, know myself, not think about the money, just play golf the way it’s always been – just 18 holes every single time.”
