Lilia Vu’s title protection on the Chevron by no means even received began.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Lilia Vu’s title protection of her first profession main championship ended earlier than it might even start.
Citing a again damage, Vu, the No. 2 Participant within the World who prevailed in a playoff a yr in the past on the Chevron Championship for the primary of two main wins final season, withdrew from this yr’s version simply earlier than her first spherical tee time.
LPGA officers stated Vu was not on the tee for her 1:10 p.m. CT begin and had alerted them forward of time that she was withdrawing. She instructed the LPGA a again damage “flared up” throughout her warmup.
“I’m so sorry to need to withdraw from The Chevron Championship, as I used to be actually trying ahead to defending my first main title,” Vu stated in an announcement posted on Instagram Thursday afternoon. “I’ve been coping with a again damage for some time now. Some days are higher than others, and as we speak was sadly not day. Throughout my regular warm-up routine, I had extreme discomfort in my again and I felt that I couldn’t compete as much as my requirements and made the choice to withdraw from the match forward of my tee time. I’m planning to return house to see my docs instantly to find out the perfect acceptable subsequent steps.
“I wish to thank everybody at Chevron for his or her help and understanding. I’m so proud to be a Chevron champion and may’t wait to get again subsequent yr. Thanks as nicely to the followers and volunteers on the course – you’re in for a beautiful 4 days!”
Jennifer Tune changed Vu in her threesome with World No. 1 Nelly Korda and 2022 U.S. Girls’s Open champion Minjee Lee.
It’s the third occasion Vu has withdrawn from this season as she has struggled within the follow-up to her breakout Participant of the 12 months marketing campaign. She received 4 occasions in 2023, together with her first two majors, at this occasion and the AIG Girls’s Open.
Why this main champion is flying underneath the radar at title protection
Vu has only one high 10 this season and adopted it with back-to-back WDs as a consequence of a again damage in February and March. She made it by way of her subsequent two begins in late March, however skipped the T-Cell Match Play in Vegas.
Vu stated within the leadup to this week that she was going again to her full coaching regiment as she labored to recuperate from the damage.
“I’ve positively form of put lifting form of on the again burner and simply let myself recuperate. Seeing my bodily therapist at house nearly each single day,” she stated Tuesday. “It form of kills me that I can’t go and prepare like absolutely the way in which I wish to, as a result of that’s one thing I like to do.
“I received again into it final week and was fantastic. I really feel like I’m in space for this week.”
