Lilia Vu simply keeps on winning.
Vu, from Fountain Valley and UCLA, earned her fourth victory of the year—including two major titles—by three strokes over Azahara Munoz of Spain and Alison Lee in The Annika at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.
By winning the event hosted by World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, Vu regained the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings and closed in on the LPGA Tour Player of the Year Award.
“I think usually when I go into Sunday, I feel like I haven’t won the tournaments yet,” said Vu, whose major victories this year came in the Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open. “So there’s really nothing to lose, and I was just going to go out there and try and make a bunch of birdies. But Sunday is a little harder, so I did my best with what I had.
“I think I want more wins in America, and to add this one to my results has been really great. To play in Annika’s event and to win it is just amazing, something that you dream about, and it almost doesn’t feel real.
“I think it’s been all a mindset for me. I am not a technical player. I just try to play the course the way it’s given to me and go from there.”
Vu, won captured three events on the Symetra Tour in 2021 and was selected the circuit’s Player of the Year, birdied three of the first five holes in the final round and recorded a score of 67-66-62-66—261, 19-under par.
Lee, from Valencia and UCLA, posted a score of 68-67-62-67—264 and Munoz totaled 64-69-64-67—264 in the tie for second, while Amy Yang of South Korea was solo fourth at 69-65-61-70—265, and Emily Pederson of Denmark shot 69-65-61-70—265 to tie for fifth with Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia, who wound up at 69-65-61-70—265.
“I’ve never been so close to losing my card I guess,” said Munoz, who was ranked No. 100 in the Race to the CME Globe after coming off maternity leave. “I’ve never been in that situation. I don’t want to be in it again. Trying to win a tournament is stressful, but trying to keep your card is very, very stressful.”
Lexi Thompson carded a score of 64-70-66-67—267 to tie for seventh with Megan Khang, who finished at 67-69-63-68—267; Aria Jutanugarn of Thailand, who shot 64-70-68-65—267; Katsu Minami of Japan, who wound up at 63-67-68-69—267, and second-ranked Ruoning Yin of China, who came in at 63-67-68-69—267.
Eight-ranked Nelly Korda, who won this tournament the last two times it was played, tied for 28th at 67-68-67-70—272.
Hae Ran Ryo of South Korea finished in a tie for 12th at 66-72-65-65—268, and clinched the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year Award.
The LPGA Tour season will conclude with the CME Group Tour Championship beginning Thursday on the Gold Course at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., where Lydia Ko of New Zealand won last year, but she didn’t finish in the top 60 in the Race to the CME Globe and failed to qualify for the finale.
For final results, visit: https://www.espn.com/golf/leaderboard/_/tournamentId/401507085, and for first-round tee times of the CME Group Championship, visit: https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/leaderboard
