Lilia Vu Gets Candid About Overcoming Her Demons After Lackluster Start to 2024: ‘Got a Little Rusty’

A “wake-up call.” That was what the world No. 1 dubbed her the first two events in 2024. Overall, it wasn’t a great start to the year for Lilia Vu. Finishing 18th among 35 golfers at the Tournament of Champions and a T55 finish at the LPGA Drive-On Championship would have surely left a sore mark on her mind. The reason? Being a bit out of practice with her ball striking!

The 26-year-old took part in an interview ahead of the upcoming event, the Honda LPGA Thailand, on Wednesday. During the same, the athlete took to confessing her ongoing struggles while divulging the panacea for all her gameplay ills—nothing short of practice with the ball.

Lilia Vu admits to her struggles ahead of the LPGA Tour event

“I think I got a little rusty with ball striking,” said Vu when she was asked about her focus during the small break she took after the second LPGA Tour event. Adding on, she mentioned how during the “past three weeks,” she has been “just trying to hit the ball more solid,” all the while “compressing the ball a little more,” alluding to the “technical side” of her struggles.

Continuing with her response, the 2-time major champ dubbed the idea of playing golf at home as the “most productive” for the golfer. However, “Practicing for a couple hours on end doesn’t do much for me,” said the American pro before continuing, “I’m much better on the course so that’s what I’ve been focusing on.”

Even back in 2023, she was visibly struggling with her game on the course. Well, back then, Vu decided to work on striking the right balance. “So, now, I just try to play well,” disclosed the athlete on a couple of occasions, before her second major win and her fourth title win at The ANNIKA, instead of focusing too much on the nerves.

Nevertheless, her first two events on the women’s circuit in 2024 are what helped her realize the problems she had on the course. Meanwhile, it is natural for the fan to be curious about how she fared during the same.

Vu’s start to 2024 LPGA Tour calendar

The 2023 AIG Women’s Open champ, during the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, scored a 1-under 287, raking in a cut of $22,493 from the prize pool of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, she did so by carding scores of 71-71-74-71 over the four days on the par-72 Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Florida.

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Come the LPGA Drive On Championship, she could only finish at T55, tied with Ally Ewing, after registering a score of 5-over par 289. Moreover, she could only rake in a cut of $5,287 from the $1.75 million prize pool at the par-71 Bradenton Country Club with figures of 74-67-73-75. Nevertheless, despite the two lackluster starts, she was able to double down on the area of her gameplay she needed to work on and focus on the same. With her determination and skills, it’s no wonder she is the world No. 1.

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