The two combined to make just five bogeys over four rounds. In the end, it was Yang, 34, emerging the champion—and taking home the $2 million first-place prize money payout—by grabbing her fifth career victory but first since 2019.

Leaderboard

Win: Amy Yang -27 (final-round 66)

T-2: Nasa Hataoka -24 (69)

T-2: Alison Lee -24 (66)

4: Lilia Vu -21 (65)

5: Atthaya Thitikul -20 (66)

How it happened

Hataoka and Yang began the day tied at 21 under, with Hataoka separating herself early, taking a three-stroke lead through the first five holes. Yet Yang fought back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch, from the seventh through 10th holes, to knot things up at 23 under.

Yang then took the lead outright with Sunday’s shot of the day, a hole-out eagle on the par-4 13th from about 80 yards to move to 25 under.

“I saw it landed really close to the pin,” Yang said. “And just like a split second, I thought, oh, it’s going to go in. That definitely was good momentum.”

Amy Yang is putting up a fight at @CMEGroupLPGA ?

Watch now on NBC! pic.twitter.com/jmLPeXBya3

— LPGA (@LPGA) November 19, 2023

While Hataoka tied Yang on 14 with a birdie, the six-time LPGA winner’s putter failed her down the stretch. Hataoka missed a pair of looks inside 10 feet on the 16th and 17th, after carding her second bogey of the tournament on the par-3 15th.

Yang, meanwhile, birdied the 17th to take a two-shot lead to the home hole, playing the last as even-keeled as her swing’s tempo. Her birdie on the last gave her a closing 66 and a three-stroke victory, with several tour friends popping open champagne bottles before the ball even found the bottom of the cup, then stormed the green to greet Yang with a meaningful champagne shower.

Amy Yang and Nasa Hataoka (left) turned the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship into a (mostly) two-player affair – Michael Reaves

What it means

It wasn’t until her 16th season on the LPGA Tour that Yang finally won a tournament on American soil, breaking through in her adopted home state of Florida. Yang had been a consistent force on the LPGA since her rookie season in 2008, posting 21 top-10s at LPGA majors, including a pair of T-4s at this year’s Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open. But she was never able to claim a breakout win.

While the Tour Championship isn’t a major, it pays like one. The $2 million prize, the largest paycheck of Yang’s career, squeaks her just past Minjee Lee to 11th on the career money list with $13,882,919. Yang is now second among all South Korean golfers in LPGA career earnings, behind only LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park ($18.3 million).

Yang won convincingly, shattering the previous scoring record at the CME by four strokes, besting Jin Young Ko’s 23-under victory in 2021.

Best of the rest

Only the end of the season could stop Lee’s electric run of play. The American finished tied with Hataoka for second with a bogey-free 66, ending her year with only three players beating her in her final three LPGA events along with a record-setting victory at the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Team Series event in Saudi Arabia. With PGA Tour legend Fred Couples as her new cornerman, Lee unlocked a level of self-belief that has her playing some of the best golf on the planet and putting her on an early track to make the 2024 U.S. Solheim Cup team. It would be the first time Lee has played Solheim since her rookie season in 2015.

Atthaya Thitikul, Amy Yang and Lilia Vu pose with their respective hardware after the end of the CME Group Tour Championship – Michael Reaves

Meanwhile, the Vare Trophy and Player of the Year leaders going into the Tour Championship won their respective season-long awards. Atthaya Thitikul (69.53), with her 13th top-10 of the season after a fifth-place finish this week, won the Vare by a mere 0.13 scoring average over Hyo Joo Kim (69.67), who ended up T-13. Lilia Vu, with a fourth-place finish at the CME, became the first American to win Rolex Player of the Year since Stacy Lewis in 2014, beating Celine Boutier by 34 points.

Main Image: Michael Reaves

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A year later, Vu arrives at the CME on the verge of completing one of the best American LPGA seasons in the last 30 years. The No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings is the heavy favorite over Celine Boutier to win LPGA Player of the Year honors after a four-victory breakout season. If she can close things out, the 26-year-old would become the first American to claim the award since Stacy Lewis in 2014 and only the third since Beth Daniel won in 1994—three years before Vu was born. A T-7 finish or better by Vu, or Boutier not winning the tour championship, locks up the award for Vu.

“I think it’s just been wild,” Vu said when asked about the difference between last year and this on Tuesday ahead of the LPGA finale. “I don’t think I expected this at all. I have said this before. I came in with no expectations because last year I had too many and was too hard on myself. I’m trying to enjoy every moment and be grateful I’m out here.”

Vu’s journey to four wins—two of them being major championships—and a 27-point Player of the Year lead began with a promise to herself after last season’s CME. Should she win an event, Vu said she would buy herself her dream car, a Mercedes G 550. Vu broke that promise and purchased it before her first start of the year at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

“I was like, oh, it’s because I knew I was going to win,” Vu said.

In April, Vu took the next step in her career by claiming the title at Chevron Championship. Winning her first career major in a playoff over Angel Yin for her first major title also led to her signing with her first sponsor. After finding herself in a slight lull, missing four consecutive cuts from late April through the U.S. Women’s Open in July, Vu won the AIG Women’s Open in August after recognizing once more the mindset she was taking to the course wasn’t conducive to playing her best golf.

“I came into that week just soggy diapers and not feeling great about how I played at the Scottish Open,” Vu said. “I think just putting a lot of pressure on myself just post Chevron, and I was just kind of on this decline, just trying to make my way back up just post U.S. Open. So I remember my team just sitting me down and saying, all we need to do is be in contention, as I said before. That was my goal that week. I don’t know, just from there got into contention and then the weekend just came by and worked out really well.”

In a sign of her ascending stardom after winning at Walton Heath, Vu signed with Wasserman, represented by Chris Mullhaupt and Cosette Chaput. Mullhaupt is the agent for the sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda.

The victory catapulted Vu into historic American golf company. She became the World No. 1 for the first time, joining Stacy Lewis, Nelly Korda and Christie Kerr as the only four from the U.S. to earn that spot since the rankings were created in 2006. Vu became the first American to win two majors in a year since Juli Inkster in 1999. She also won the Rolex Annika Major Award, one of two Americans to earn that honor alongside Michelle Wie West in 2014. Vu took the Player of the Year lead as well.

With victories at the Cheveron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open, Vu became the first American to win multiple LPGA majors in one year since Juli Inkster in 1999

However, Vu explained to the media that she doesn’t pay attention to the season award standings, only aware that she had won the Annika since that award concluded after the British.

“I don’t really know how any of the points system works, to be honest,” Vu said. “I just kind of hear and [the media] tell me.”

Vu held the lead in the Player of the Year race until Boutier passed her with the Frenchwoman’s fourth win of the season at the Maybank Championship in late October. That gave Boutier a three-point lead with two events remaining. While a three-point lead may seem small on paper, points are only earned for top-10 finishes. It would have taken a T-8 at last week’s Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican to tie Boutier heading into the CME. Instead, Vu ripped the lead from Boutier by winning the Annika to reclaim a substantial points margin headed to the CME.

“I was just honestly very impressed [of Vu’s win],” Boutier said. “Being able to pull it off under the circumstances and pressure, I’m like, yeah, she deserves it. We’ll see what happens. Like I said, she’s had such an amazing season. Even if I don’t get it, I’m very happy for her. It’s hard to beat four wins and two majors, so whatever happens I’ll be happy.”

Last week’s victory gives Vu an opportunity to cement herself in the LPGA record books this week in Naples. A win at the CME, and its $2 million first-place check, would deliver not only POY honors but also allow her to crack $5.2 million in single season earnings, surpassing Lorena Ochoa’s LPGA record for the most in a year ($4,364,955 in 2007).

Instead of imagining what those additional accolades could mean for her season resume, Vu is sticking to her simple, consistent week-to-week goal.

“I think if I stay to my normal trying to win I think it’s just going to solve itself and it’ll happen,” Vu said.

Main Image: Richard Heathcote/R&A

The post ‘It’s just been wild’: How LPGA player-of-the-year favourite Lilia Vu turned her career around in 12 months appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Leaderboard

Lilia Vu, -19 (final-round 66)

Alison Lee, -16 (67)

Azahara Munoz, -16 (67)

Amy Yang, -15 (66)

Quotable

“I didn’t really expect this to happen,” Vu said. “I think I just wanted to have a good week going into CME next week and just try to be in contention, and then turned out the way it did.”

What It Means

Vu is now the second LPGA player, along with Celine Boutier, to win four times in 2023. Her previous victories, however, include two majors, the Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open. That explains why the 26-year-old Californian was able to jump past Boutier in the Roles Player of the Year rankings, taking a commanding 196-169 point lead. (If she can keep it through the Tour Championship, she’ll be the first American POY since Stacy Lewis in 2014 and just the second since 1994.) Vu also is projected to ascend to the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s Ranking on Monday.

With a first-place prize money payout of $475,000, Vu also passed $3 million in earnings in 2023, and $4 million for her career. It’s an incredible comeback for a player lost her LPGA card early in her pro career and considered quitting golf to go to law school.

How It Happened

Emily Kristine Pedersen led by three over Amy Yang and Vu when the final round started. But both Yang and Pedersen had their worst rounds of the week on Sunday, with Yang shooting even-par 70 and Pedersen struggling to a 74. (It proved particularly costly for Pedersen; had she parred the final hole for a 72, she would have moved into the top 60 on the CME points list, thereby earning a start in the Tour Championship. She made double, and her season ended.)

Vu, however, did not struggle on Sunday. She missed only two greens en route to shooting a four-under 66.

Best Of The Rest

A few players made crucial moves up the CME points list. Patty Tavatanakit, who started the week sitting right on the bubble in the 60th spot, had a T-15 finish to keep her inside the top 60 and get a chance to win the $2 million first prize at the CME Group Tour Championship. Similarly, Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou’s T-5 at The Annika got her into the top 60.

Azahara Munoz started the week No. 100 on the CME points list. It was a precarious spot: Good play by just one player ranked below her could push her outside that number and cost her full status in 2024. Though, she had a few more starts to improve her position due to her recent return to the tour from maternity leave, she won’t need them: This T-2 finish locks up her card for next season.

Wei-Ling Hsu’s T-12 boosted her into the top 100, earning her 2024 LPGA Tour card. And Lydia Ko went from No. 101 on the CME points list to No. 100, though she her status in 2024 was already secure thanks to her wins in 2022.

Main image: Mike Ehrmann

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Vu started the day three shots back of Emily Kristine Pedersen, then posted a four-under 66. With Kristine Pedersen struggling to a 74, Vu quickly climbed the leaderboard, eventually posting a 19-under 261 total. She is now the second player with four wins on the season, joining Celine Boutier. But Vu jumped past Boutier in the Rolex Player of the Year points standings with her victory on Sunday, taking a commanding 196-169 lead with just next week’s LPGA finale, the CME Group Tour Championship, to play.

With the win, Vu earned a first-place prize money payout of $487,500 from an overall purse of $3.25 million. Vu has made $3,252,303 this season, her fourth on tour, which is 77.8 per cent of her career earnings ($4.175 million)

Here are the prize money payouts for everybody that made the cut at The Annika.

1: Lilia Vu, -19, $487,500

T-2: Alison Lee, -16, $262,260

T-2: Azahara Munoz, -16, $262,260

4: Amy Yang, -15, $170,594

T-5: Stephanie Kyriacou, -14, $124,827

T-5: Emily Kristine Pedersen, -14, $124,827

T-7: Ariya Jutanugarn, -13, $76,061

T-7: Lexi Thompson, -13, $76,061

T-7: Ruoning Yin, -13, $76,061

T-7: Megan Khang, -13, $76,061

T-7: Minami Katsu, -13, $76,061

T-12: Hae Ran Ryu, -12, $54,700

T-12: Wei-Ling Hsu, -12, $54,700

T-12: Gaby Lopez, -12, $54,700

T-15: Linn Grant, -11, $45,714

T-15: Rachel Kuehn (a), -11, Amateur

T-15: Amanda Doherty, -11, $45,714

T-15: Patty Tavatanakit, -11, $45,714

T-19: In Gee Chun, -10, $39,029

T-19: Bianca Pagdanganan, -10, $39,029

T-19: Brooke M. Henderson, -10, $39,029

T-19: Wichanee Meechai, -10, $39,029

T-23: Grace Kim, -9, $34,952

T-23: Sarah Schmelzel, -9, $34,952

T-25: Charley Hull, -8, $30,042

T-25: Allisen Corpuz, -8, $30,042

T-25: Cydney Clanton, -8, $30,042

T-25: Jasmine Suwannapura, -8, $30,042

T-25: Chanettee Wannasaen, -8, $30,042

T-25: Nelly Korda, -8, $30,042

T-31: Atthaya Thitikul, -7, $23,205

T-31: Jeongeun Lee5, -7, $23,205

T-31: Pornanong Phatlum, -7, $23,205

T-31: Jin Young Ko, -7, $23,205

T-31: Ally Ewing, -7, $23,205

T-31: Lydia Ko, -7, $23,205

T-31: Lindy Duncan, -7, $23,205

T-38: Leona Maguire, -6, $17,726

T-38: Gabriela Ruffels, -6, $17,726

T-38: Jodi Ewart Shadoff, -6, $17,726

T-38: Dewi Weber, -6, $17,726

T-38: Matilda Castren, -6, $17,726

T-38: Gina Kim, -6, $17,726

T-44: Maria Fassi, -5, $14,979

T-44: Soo Bin Joo, -5, $14,979

T-46: Nicole Broch Estrup, -4, $13,398

T-46: Caroline Inglis, -4, $13,398

T-46: Georgia Hall, -4, $13,398

T-46: Louise Rydqvist (a), -4, Amateur

T-46: Jaravee Boonchant, -4, $13,398

T-51: Pernilla Lindberg, -3, $11,179

T-51: Hye-Jin Choi, -3, $11,179

T-51: Yuna Nishimura, -3, $11,179

T-51: Carlota Ciganda, -3, $11,179

T-51: Jeongeun Lee6, -3, $11,179

T-51: Muni He, -3, $11,179

T-57: Sarah Kemp, -2, $9,653

T-57: Ruixin Liu, -2, $9,653

T-57: Perrine Delacour, -2, $9,653

60: Elizabeth Szokol, -1, $8,987

T-61: Polly Mack, E, $8,100

T-61: Ashleigh Buhai, E, $8,100

T-61: Olivia Cowan, E, $8,100

T-61: Eun-Hee Ji, E, $8,100

T-61: Hinako Shibuno, E, $8,100

T-61: Aline Krauter, E, $8,100

T-67: Gemma Dryburgh, +1, $7,406

T-67: Anna Nordqvist, +1, $7,406

69: Frida Kinhult,+ 5, $7,158

70: Min Lee, +6, $6,989

Main image: Mike Ehrmann

The post Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2023 Annika driven by Gainbridge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“I think team tournaments are always super fun,” Vu, the two-time 2023 major winner, said. “I played college golf and then the Solheim [Cup], so I really love the team aspect. I think it’s really fun and I think we’re gonna have a good week.”

Sitting alongside Vu in the media conference on Thursday was someone who certainly knows a thing or two about team golf.

Carlota Ciganda. Neville Hopwood

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda sunk the winning putt to ensure Team Europe retained the Solheim Cup in September and also claimed the ATS Florida event in May.

“I love playing for the team,” she said. “Solheim is always very special and these weeks they are fun, too, because you play with two pros and an amateur and you are part of a team. You are trying to do the best for the team. I think it’s a great week and I’m very happy to be here.”

Ciganda chose her fellow Arizona State University graduate Alessandra Fanali to join her team in Riyadh this weekend, something the Spaniard is sure will be an asset in Riyadh.

“I didn’t play with her on the team because she’s much younger, but I live in Scottsdale and I do go and practise where she used to play.,” Ciganda said of the Italian 24-year-old. “I know her well. I mean Spanish and Italians always pretty close and good friends. But yeah, I’m very happy to play with her. I haven’t played much with her. But I know she’s a pretty solid player. I’m just happy to go out with her tomorrow and have a good time.

Ciganda is also a Golf Saudi Ambassador, and is delighted to here and be part of the team that is revolutionising the game.

“I think it’s amazing what Saudi’s doing,” she said. “I think in the world in general with sports they invest in. I think in every sport, we can see with Formula One, with LIV with pretty much everywhere in the world. I think they want to try to put Saudi on the map. And hopefully we can. I’m very happy to be here and try to help grow the game. For me, it’s been it’s been great playing these events, played in Jeddah, played here, played a few other around the world. They do such a great job with all the marketing, all the grandstands. I mean, it feels like major tournaments. I think it’s fun to play as a team fun to play those three days. And hopefully, we can keep doing this. And we can see more golfers here we can see girls getting into golf. I think that’s the aim that we are all trying to do and hopefully we can do it. And in a few years, we can see more and more golfers here in Saudi.”

Vu has just had a standout career year that any golfer would be dreaming of, with two majors — the Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open — and a third-place finish in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International at the start of the year.

“I think the reason why I did so well this year is because I came into the season with no expectations,” she said. “I knew that last year at the end of the year, I got really down on myself by not performing where I wanted to. So I was pretty lenient with myself at the beginning of the year and then just tried to have fun throughout the year and let my golf just naturally happen.

“[The Saudi International] was my first tournament of the year. And I remember kind of just being really worried about the stuff that I worked on in the off-season wasn’t where I wanted it to be and then playing that tournament gave me a lot of confidence going into the season.”

With two majors under her belt, the confidence must be sky-high right now.

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Staged at Riyadh Golf Club for the first time, 84 players from 24 nations will tee up vying for their share of $1,000,000 in both the Team and Individual competitions.

Before play gets under way in Saudi Arabia, here are some takes to get you up to speed…

Carlota Ciganda. Angel Martinez

Solheim stars set for action

One month on from their historic retention of the Solheim Cup in Spain, four stars from Suzann Pettersen’s arsenal are in town looking to add further success to their 2023 seasons.

Still on a high after earning the all-important point for Team Europe at Finca Cortesin, Carlota Ciganda will be in action aiming for a second Aramco Team Series title following her Florida triumph in May.

Joining the Spanish heroine are the English duo of Charley Hull and Georgia Hall — the latter chasing more silverware in the Kingdom after winning the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in 2022.

Completing the European line-up is Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, while major winner Lilia Vu adds further Solheim star power to the field teeing up for the second Aramco Team Series event in a row.

Minjee Lee. Dylan Buell

Lee hot in form

Another world-class player competing this week is Australia’s Minjee Lee. The two-time major winner arrives in Riyadh in incredible form having just claimed her 10th LPGA title at the BMW Ladies Championship.

The world No. 7 has prior ATS experience finishing 11th in London two years ago and returns for tournament two at no better time after defeating Alison Lee in a playoff last week.

Talking of her namesake, the American Lee is also teeing up this week and will be hoping to go one better after falling agonisingly short in South Korea.

A regular feature in the Aramco Team Series, Lee has featured in six events winning the Sotogrande Individual title in 2021.

Battle on the bubble

With just three events left of the season, this week is a crucial one for many stars trying to play their way into the last two tournaments of 2023 and affirm their full LET card for next year.

Both the Mallorca Ladies Open and Andalucía Costa del Sol Open De España involve the top 64 in the Race to Costa del Sol (as well as eight invites), with the top-70 in the standings earning Category 4 status for 2024.

This means those competing in Riyadh who are currently outside the bubble face a potentially make-or-break week if they are to compete in Spain next month and cement their full status.

Those in question facing big battles include Leonie Harm (70th), Laura Beveridge (72nd), Sanna Nuutinen (74th), Elin Arvidsson (77th), Linnea Johansson (78th), Maggie Simmermacher (79th), Marianne Skarpnord (92nd), Michele Thomson (101st) and Becky Brewerton (117th).

Dagar on the brink

As the Race to Costa del Sol heats up, it looks like this could be the week France’s Celine Boutier finally gets knocked off top spot with India’s Diksha Dagar on the brink of moving into the highly sought-after position.

Fresh off a third-place finish on home soil at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, the left-hander has now leapfrogged Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson and sits just 78.27 points off the major winner who is absent this week.

A ninth-place finish or better would do the job for Dagar in Riyadh, while Gustavsson can also jump into top spot if Dagar fails to do so and she finishes inside the top three.

Chiara Noja. Image supplied

Teenage kicks

It was one year ago that German teenager Chiara Noja announced herself to the golfing world defeating her hero Charley Hull in a playoff to win the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah Individual event.

Now back in Saudi Arabia 12 months on, and having recently returned to action after an injury spell, the 17-year-old will no doubt be feeling nostalgic as she aims to put on a performance in the tournament where she claimed a historic maiden LET title.

Unique format

Once again the format is the same as other ATS events with the Individual and Team competitions being played simultaneously. The Team competition will be played over 36-holes over the first two days with the best two scores counting, while the Individual is a 54-hole stroke play competition with the last round just having the top-60 professionals and ties competing.

There are 84 professionals teeing it up this week and there will be 28 teams contending for the top prize. Each team will consist of three professionals and one amateur.

Main image: Warren Little/Getty Images

Story by LET

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Zhang’s professional debut sent shockwaves through the golf world when she secured victory at the Mizuho Americas Open in June. Her incredible win made her the first player to achieve this feat on the LPGA Tour since Japanese star Hinako Shibuno in 2019. Zhang’s triumph marked her as the eighth player since 1992 to win in their first professional start on Tour, joining the ranks of household names such as Karrie Webb.

Zhang’s extraordinary amateur career included eight wins in a single season, a record that ties her with golf legend Tiger Woods for the most wins by a Stanford player in the school’s history. Zhang’s remarkable journey saw her win 12 times in just 20 starts during her Stanford career, surpassing all other players, both male and female, including Woods.

Zhang’s reign as the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur extended over an impressive 141 weeks, a record unmatched by any other player. Her amateur tenure also featured 13 starts on the LPGA Tour, including participation in eight major championships, with her best finish being T11 at the 2020 Chevron Championship.

Currently ranked 32nd in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Zhang said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Aramco Team Series — Hong Kong. It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of such an exciting world-class event, and I’m eager to take on some of the world’s best on this fantastic stage in Hong Kong.”

Joining Zhang and Vu in Hong Kong from the European Solheim Cup team are Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Hedwall. ATS Florida champion Ciganda secured the crucial point to help Team Europe retain the Solheim Cup by defeating ATS London champ Nelly Korda 2&1 in their singles match in Spain.

Accompanying Ciganda is fellow European Hedwall, who defeated American Ally Ewing 2-Up in a decisive Sunday singles match.

Main image: Rose Zhang. Malcolm Mackenzie/LET

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Hong Kong Golf Club will welcome a star-studded line-up for the event from October 6-8 with Vu, who also narrowly missed out on winning the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in February to then World No. 1 Lydia Ko, headlining the field alongside alongside Chinese stars Xiyu Lin and Muni He.

Last month, Vu made it to the top of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for the first time in her career. Her journey to the top has been remarkable, considering that she began the year ranked no. 43. The year so far has seen the American achieve incredible feats, including not one but two victories at the majors. The 25-year-old clinched the AIG Women’s Open, adding to her triumph in a playoff at the Chevron Championship in April. She also won at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February and will be aiming for another victory on Asian soil at the ATE event.

With her participation in Hong Kong, Vu hopes to add another chapter to her storied career. This event marks her inaugural appearance in the ATS, providing fans and spectators in the region with a unique opportunity to witness her prowess up close.

The team element won’t faze her,  as she was a winning member of Team USA at the 2018 Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and Espirito Santo Trophy teams. Two weeks before Hong Kong, Vu will also compete on the biggest stage in women’s team golf at the 2023 Solheim Cup after securing her spot on the United States team.

Vu expressed her excitement and said: “I am thrilled to be part of the Aramco Team Series — Hong Kong and have the chance to compete in Asia again. The Aramco Team Series has a strong reputation amongst the players with the unique team format and major-like staging, both of which I’m looking forward to. I’m excited to compete alongside some of the world’s best in Hong Kong, and I hope to add to my victories in 2023.”

As the fourth stop on this year’s tour, the Hong Kong edition will witness the participation of 28 teams, each comprised of three professionals and one amateur. The team competition format will unfold over two days. In addition, a three-day individual stroke play competition will play out and award Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings points.

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Sunday morning’s semi-final showdown with Thailand was a microcosm of the week for Team USA at the International Crown. The Americans displayed solid if less-than-spectacular golf that caught up with them on the last hole of the last match at TPC Harding Park.

Nelly Korda and Danielle Kang fought back from a 2-down deficit in their foursomes match against Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, but a birdie-birdie finish gave the Thai sisters a 1-up victory. Combined with the point earned by Atthaya Thitikul in a 3&2 singles win over Lexi Thompson, Team Thailand had the two points needed to advance to the finals and face Australia, a 3-0 winner in their semi-final match with Sweden.

“Obviously a little disappointed,” Korda said. “I can only speak for myself, not being in the final. But I think we played well. Danielle and I shot three under an alternate shot. That’s tough to do. [The Jutanugarn] sisters just played super well today, and I think overall, even Lilia and I paired up the first three days, we had so much fun, and we played solid golf, too.

“We wish some more putts were dropped. But overall, I think our performance has been pretty good, and it’s a way for us to build going to Solheim too.”

Painting inspires this LPGA major winner to raise money for her foundation — and find balance in her life

A slumbering Sunday with tee times before 8am local time resulted in a slow start for Team USA. The Americans were at least 2-down through five holes in all three their matches, Lilia Vu facing Patty Tavatanakit in singles in the match-play contest. But once again, that had been the story of the week: the US led for only 10 holes of 81 played on the opening side.

“The first five holes, there’s three par 5s, so if you don’t kind of take advantage of it and the opponents take advantage of those, then you are going to be 2, 3 or even 1-down,” Korda explained. “After that, the course gets pretty tough. It is a tight golf course, and pars win sometimes, so you just kind of have to keep your head up and know that there are more opportunities out there.”

Thompson could win just one hole against Thitikul, with her last singles match victory on the LPGA shockingly dating back to the 2013 Solheim Cup, a 4&3 win against Europe’s Caroline Masson.

Vu, however, turned things around against Tavatanakit (her former UCLA teammate) by winning three of four holes from Nos. 11 to 14, eventually pulling out a 1-up victory. It was first time anyone had beaten Thailand all week, and allowing everything to come down to the alternate-shot match.

Tied through 16 holes, the Jutanugarn sisters regained the lead with a birdie on the par-3 17th. Both teams reached the par-5 18th in two shots, as Korda’s 30-foot eagle putt slipped hard left in front of the cup. A two-putt from the Jutanugarns sealed their victory and a loss for the Americans.

“They’re a tough team, but we’re here to play, as well,” Tavatanakit said. “Even though we might be the lower-ranked team. But at the end of the day, we start from hole 1 to hole 18. It’s all equal game.”

The Americans remained jovial after the semi-final loss. They joked about who should answer questions at the press conference. Despite not winning, they felt grateful to play wearing the US flag and hopeful to pull out the consolation match in the afternoon against Sweden.

“Anytime you can be able to tee up and represent your country, it’s the highest honor you can possibly have, and to be alongside these girls, they’ve been amazing,” Thompson said. “We’ve had a lot of fun. Today wasn’t how we planned, but we did our best, and they played some great golf.”

The post Team USA’s semi-final comeback falls short as dreams of International Crown victory end against Thailand appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It took a solid 48 hours before Lilia Vu finally felt like a major champion. The whirlwind Sunday at the Chevron Championship didn’t allow her to sit back and take in all that she had accomplished, having birdied the last two holes in regulation at the Club at Carlton Woods outside Houston, then winning with a birdie in the first extra playoff hole.

With two holes remaining, she didn’t think she had a chance to win the event. An hour later, she was holding the trophy, after jumping in the pond just off the 18th green.

“It’s starting to feel real now,” Vu on said Tuesday from this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club, a place she knows well because she played there every Wednesday morning at 6.30am as a member of the UCLA golf team. Vu was the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2018, a three-time First-Team All-American and ranks first in all-time victories at UCLA with eight.

“It’s just very nostalgic to be in the area,” said Vu, who grew up 30 minutes south of downtown Los Angeles. “It feels like home, so it’s kind of nice to come back after Chevron and be here, somewhere that I know that family and friends are going to come out this weekend, too.”

Back to Sunday, where Vu captured her second LPGA title and first major. She missed her flight home at 8pm from Texas. The weather delay earlier helped with that, even before she vaulted into contention. Then, while waiting to see how Angel Yin would before down the stretch, Vu thought she could find a way to see the Taylor Swift concert in town that night. But she ended up winning and her Sunday night suddenly was booked solid.

Vu, 25, flew back to Los Angeles on Monday, landed at 3pm, went with family to their favourite restaurant, then returned home to pack for a three-week stretch that includes the International Crown and Founders Cup events after this week’s home game at Wilshire, which boasts eight of the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings and 17 of the top 20. She was only home for 18 hours.

“It’s amazing here,” Vu said. “It’s super fun. I said this before, it’s different from all the neighbouring golf courses around here. I feel like it can play really difficult if the wind gets up. It’s already difficult on its own. I think around the greens it’s difficult, and the putting greens are difficult. I think it should be a good test for everybody out here.”

The post ‘It’s starting to feel real now’: Inside Lilia Vu’s whirlwind 48 hours after winning her first major appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.