- The American clinches her second Major title
- Charley Hull jumps from 36th to ninth in the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol
Lilia Vu stormed to her second Major victory of the year winning the 2023 AIG Women’s Open by six strokes at Walton Heath.
The American, who won the first Major of the year at The Chevron Championship in April, began the day as co-leader alongside England’s Charley Hull on nine-under-par.
Vu got off to a strong start with a birdie on the second hole and followed it up with another on the ninth to be in control at the halfway stage of the final round.
The 25-year-old then added further birdies on 10 and 12 before she ran into trouble at the 15th but still came away with a bogey.
But Vu soon bounced back with a birdie on 16 and finished in style with a birdie on 18 to seal a final round of 67 (-5) and win the final Major of the year with a total of 14-under-par.
“I can’t thank my team and my family enough for really believing in me,” said Vu. “It was really hard for the past couple of months and somehow, they really believed in me and helped me get this win here.
“I love playing with Charley [Hull], she is so fun to watch. I remember looking back yesterday at the crowd and just wanting to play with her today. She is so great, so nice and I love playing with her. She’s a really great golfer.
“This has been the best crowd I have ever played in front of in my life. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life. They have been so great; I know they were rooting for Charley, but they clapped for me too which is amazing.”
England’s Hull finished in outright second place on eight-under-par after carding a round of 73 (+1) on the final day at Walton Heath.
The three-time LET winner had two bogeys on her front nine but produced a moment of magic on the 11th chipping in from the bunker for eagle.
Hull then had one birdie sandwiched between bogeys on holes 15, 16 and 17 to card a round of one-over and secure her best-ever finish in her home major.
“Lilia played unbelievable, and I just don’t feel like I got a break to be fair,” said Hull. “Starting from the first hole, I hit a good putt and then on five, I lipped out.
“It was a death lip-out all the way around the hole, and I didn’t feel anything went my way, even some lies that I had, and I was just running out of steam at the end. It’s just annoying because this is my fourth second-place finish of the year and my second second-place finish in a major.
“But I really feel like next year will be my time for me just because I’m going to really focus on working on that over this winter. I feel like I want to start tomorrow with my coach.
“I was shocked how many young kids came up to me. It’s quite cute and really inspiring because when I was younger, I used to look up to Laura [Davies] but it’s kind of cool how they are looking up to me now. The signs – it’s lovely.”
Korea’s Jiyai Shin ended the week in solo third place on seven-under-par after shooting a round of 70 (-2) on day four in Surrey.
There were two players one stroke further back on six-under-par with Korean pair Amy Yang and Hyo-Joo Kim in a tie for fourth place.
A trio of Americans finished the week in a share of sixth place with Allisen Corpuz, Ally Ewing and Angel Yin all on four-under-par.
Germany’s Olivia Cowan carded a final round of 70 (-2) to produce her best-ever finish in a major championship with T9 alongside Andrea Lee of the United States.
English amateur Charlotte Heath won the Smyth Salver, which is awarded to the leading amateur, and is the first English player to win since Sophie Lamb in 2017.
In the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol, Celine Boutier extended her lead at the top of the rankings and now has 1,725.38 points to her name.
Spain’s Ana Peláez Trivińo still sits in second place with 1,433.20 points with India’s Aditi Ashok in third (1,309.19) and Sweden’s Linn Grant in fourth (1,276.28).
India’s Diksha Dagar has moved up to fifth place after finishing in a tie for 21st place, with Czechia’s Klara Davidson Spilkova in sixth and Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson in seventh.
England’s Cara Gainer sits in eighth in the rankings and her fellow countrywoman Hull has jumped from 36th to ninth place and now has 985 points with Spain’s Carmen Alonso in tenth.
