It took a while, but Lilia Vu finally won her first major at the 2023 Chevron Championships, beating Angel Yin in a tiebreaker. Lilia was a highly rated amateur golfer when she turned professional in January 2019. However, she struggled to make an impact as a professional and nearly quit the sport. Lilia’s family encouraged her to continue playing, and by the end of April 2023, her refusal to give up on her paid off.
Lilia’s mother fled Vietnam on an overloaded and leaky boat
Lilia Vu was born on October 14, 1997 to Kieu Thuy and Douglas Vu in Fountain Valley, California. She grew up with her brother, Andre Vu, also a golfer.
Kieu Thuy, Lilia’s mother, was born in war-torn Vietnam. Her father, Dinh Du, wanted a life of peace for his family. He therefore devoted himself to secretly building a ship that would take her loved ones to the United States.
“My dad said we needed to get out of Vietnam to have a better life,” Kieu said. golf summary. “We chose the United States and luckily we did. My dad, he’s my hero.”
One day in 1982, Du revealed that it was time to go. As Kieu and her siblings ran through the forest to the boat, news leaked out that some people were fleeing the country. The desperate situation in Vietnam motivated some residents to follow Du and his company. Du accepted all comers.
A ship built to carry a maximum of 54 people left with 82 occupants. “He [Du] he took them all,” Kieu said. Two days into the voyage, the overloaded boat suffered a leak. Du fired a flare, hoping that a passing ship would rescue the doomed ship.
Fortunately, the USS Brewton, an American ship, saw the flare and rescued everyone on board. Du settled in California, thousands of miles from his war-torn homeland. “My grandfather is the reason I’m here,” Lilia said.
While Lilia was considering giving up golf, Du was hospitalized due to heart complications. The last conversation Lilia had with Du encouraged her to continue playing. “The last thing she told me was to play my best,” Lilia said. “She’s in the hospital, thinking about me and my tournament.”
Lilia’s desire to honor her grandfather kept her calm during a tough Chevron championship. She said, “Even today, I was getting really annoyed on the course. I just had to remind myself, like, Grandpa’s with you, and he’d be so disappointed if you got mad like that and didn’t fix it.”
Lilia’s father was her golf coach from the age of 6 until her college debut.
Lilia started playing golf at age 6, with her father, Douglas, coaching her. Douglas trained Lilia until he headed off to UCLA for college.
He attends many tournaments and acts as Lilia’s advisor and motivator. Lilia credited Douglas with propelling her to victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Douglas reminded Lilia that a good round could lead to success, Lilia said.
Lilia’s father offered similar advice at the Chevron championship. “I said let’s focus on the game,” Douglas said. “If you have [a] mid 60’s [round]You can win.”
Lilia said that Douglas and Kieu’s presence at golf tournaments motivates her to do well. “It means the world,” Lilia described winning in front of her parents. “Honestly, I want them everywhere every time I play.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn