Lilia Vu becomes a four-time LPGA Tour Champion at the Annika

After a final-round 66, Lilia Vu was crowned an LPGA Tour champion for the fourth time this season at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. The 2019 LPGA Tour rookie continued her impressive year of golf, which included a win at the Honda LPGA Thailand and two major championship victories at The Chevron Championship and AIG Women's Open. 

She added another victory in Belleair, Florida, before looking ahead to the season-ending event of the year, the CME Group Tour Championship.

Vu began the day three shots behind third-round leader Emily Kristine Pedersen. The United States Solheim Cup Team member made a steady start with two pars on the first two holes before starting the chase. 

Back-to-back birdies on 3 and 4 gave Vu a one-shot lead over Pedersen. The American kept up the pressure with a birdie on the par-four sixth to take a share of the lead.

Lilia Vu from the United States poses with her ball and the trophy after winning The ANNIKA. © Getty Images
Lilia Vu from the United States poses with her ball and the trophy after winning The ANNIKA. © Getty Images

Pedersen bogeyed the par-4 8th hole to hand Vu sole possession of the lead for the remainder of Sunday's round. The UCLA graduate fell one shot behind before carding two more birdies at the par-3 15th and the par-4 16th to move to -19, three shots clear going into the final two holes.

With a final score of -19, Vu broke the 72-hole scoring record by two shots in her first appearance at The ANNIKA. She also became the second player in the 2023 LPGA Tour season with at least four wins, joining Frenchwoman Celine Boutier.

"For me, it was all about the mindset. I'm not a technical player. I just try to play the course the way it's given to me and then just go from there. The next shot could be the best shot you ever hit. And that's the mindset I think about all the time," said the 26-year-old.

Three shots behind Vu, fellow UCLA graduate Alison Lee and LPGA mum Azahara Munoz were tied for second place. "It's really cool to see Lilia play some amazing golf this year," said Lee, who also finished as runner-up at the BMW Ladies Championship after losing to Minjee Lee in a playoff. 

Lilia Vu finished the tournament on 19 strokes under par. © Getty Images
Lilia Vu finished the tournament on 19 strokes under par. © Getty Images

Spain's Muñoz, the 2010 LPGA Tour rookie, entered the week 100th on the Race to the CME Globe points list and needed a big week to secure her LPGA Tour card for the next year. "I was so stressed out that I didn't even want to play. It's no fun at all. Now I'm just really proud of how I played this week, so I'm pretty happy," she explained.

Playing alongside Vu, Saturday's leader Pedersen was tied for fifth with Australia's Stephanie Kyriacou. Along with them, the top 60 players will now head to Naples, Florida, for the final event of the 2023 LPGA Tour season.