Lilia Vu shot a final round 66 at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge on Sunday to win her fourth LPGA Tour title.
The American started the day three shots behind round three leader, Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark and made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 to move to one behind. Vu moved into a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-4 sixth hole.
Pedersen bogeyed the par-4 8th hole to give Vu sole lead for the rest of her round. Vu bogeyed the par-3 12th before picking up two more birdies on the par-3 15th and the par-4 16th to move to 19-under par with a three-shot lead headed into the last two holes of her round where back-to-back pars sealed her victory.
Her 19-under par finish broke the 72-hole scoring record by two shots and she became the second player in the 2023 LPGA Tour season to have at least four wins, joining Frenchwoman Céline Boutier.
“It’s mindset,” said Vu. “I think it’s all been mindset for me. I’m not a technical player. I just try and play the course the way it’s given to me and then just go from there. Just playing one shot at a time, not getting ahead of yourself. It’s not over until the 18th hole, so just play every shot the way you intend it. The next shot could be the best shot you ever hit. And that’s a mindset I think about all the time. I think that helps with calming the nerves and doing what’s in front of me and being where my feet are.”
Fellow American Alison Lee and Spaniard Azahara Muñoz both carded 67s to finish second at 16-under.
South Korean Amy Yang closed with a 70 to finish fourth at 15-under.
Pedersen failed to record a birdie and had two bogeys and a double bogey at the par-4 18th for a 74 and a share of fifth place at 14-under alongside Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou.
