At the 18th hole of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, the 9th singles between Lilia Vu and European rookie Albane Valenzuela were looking to go in the latter’s favor. Valenzuela was 1 up at the final hole. But as the Solheim Cup debutant missed the 30-foot birdie, Vu drained her and gave the crowd its biggest cheer, and Team USA had their first Solheim Cup since 2017.

It was indeed a team effort, but Vu took the limelight after carding the final point for the 15.5 to 12.5 scoreline. However, the 2-time major winner reveals she was not ready. At the post-match press conference, Vu was asked how she went from taking a 2-month hiatus due to her back injury which also forced her to withdraw from her title defense at the Chevron Championship to now winning in the singles at the Solheim Cup.

Although things looked good outside, Vu said, “This week was kind of hard for me. I felt like I wasn’t physically 100 percent, and I almost felt guilty taking that spot from someone else and felt like I was trying to find something out here on the golf course.” And she did find it, self-confidence and the coveted cup for the Americans.

But because of her teammates and their constant support, the 26-year-old relayed that she was able to find her game and defeat Valenzuela in the final Sunday singles. Furthermore, Vu recalled the time she had to shun golf for a few months as her body didn’t allow it and said, “I’m pretty grateful to even be playing golf, though.” 

In those 3 months that Vu did not play golf, she was taking the time off for rehabilitation and fortunately, the 26-year-old did not have to go through any surgeries to get her back working again. And even though Vu was downplaying her chances of winning the singles at the Solheim Cup because of her injury, for fans it does not come as a surprise because Vu was a winner before setting foot at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and her injury played a role in that.

How did the injury change Lilia Vu?

Will she win again or be back on the greens as healthy as she was to contend for an LPGA Tour title? Many had these questions as Lilia Vu took the mid-season break. And as revealed by herself, she was too skeptical of where her form lay because of the injury. Although unexpected, the next time the 2-time major winner teed up on the LPGA Tour, she was a different player for all the good reasons.

Right off the bat at the Meijer LPGA Classic, Vu showed why she has been addressed as one of the best players in today’s era and is the world no. 2. The 26-year-old sailed through the four rounds before forcing a playoff with her compatriot Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim. Eventually, she won it from the two and raised her 5th LPGA trophy. The injury, although painful, had changed the perspective of Vu, and that’s why she was more fierce than ever at the Meijer LPGA Classic.

The LPGA Tour quoted her, saying, “I think I definitely look at golf in a different lens. I think I appreciate it more now than ever, just being able to play golf. You take it for granted when you’re not injured, and you don’t appreciate it.” But after the injury, she started from scratch and even carded this victory as the most meaningful of all. Even after that, Vu was runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the AIG Women’s Open.

So, even though she put the bar of winning really low for herself, at the 19th Solheim Cup, Lilia Vu fought through the self-doubts and emerged victorious, for herself and her country.