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Lilia Vu had to pull out of the HSBC Women’s World Championship due to illness. The shock withdrawal raised many questions. Vu, however, was gearing up for the third event of the LPGA Tour’s Asian Swing. At the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club, the world No. 1 revealed her “body wasn’t feeling great” last week.

Has the two-time Major winner fully recovered? Vu gave a glimpse into her off-time and how she is preparing herself for the upcoming Blue Bay LPGA in China. 

Lilia Vu likes to keep things simple

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At the pre-match press conference, the four-time LPGA Tour winner said, “Yeah, last week my body wasn’t feeling great overall physically, and it was just Sunday that I couldn’t handle.” After that, the 26-year-old had to fly from Singapore to China. To recuperate ahead of the $2.2 million purse event, Vu had a simple strategy. “So I took the whole day off yesterday, and hopefully I can regroup and have a good week this week.

USA Today via Reuters

Vu’s health issues had an impact on her game as well. The 26-year-old shot 3-under 69 in the first round and 1-under 72 in the second round. On the moving day at the no-cut event, Vu scored 5-under 68. On Sunday, the reigning Women’s Open champion was 2-over 60 through the 13th hole, courtesy of five bogeys and a double bogey. 

After returning from Singapore, Lilia Vu will tee up at the 2024 Blue Bay LPGA. It’s her maiden outing at the tournament. Is she thinking of winning? It turns out that’s the farthest thing from her mind. 

Vu looks at the broader picture

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Vu, interestingly, doesn’t have any goalposts like making the cut, netting a top-10 finish, or even winning the tournament. Rather, she just wants to play well. The Blue Bay LPGA will have a 36-hole cut for the first time. Asked about this, the 2023 Chevron Championship winner said, “I mean, I can only speak for myself, but I don’t really think about the cut line. I feel like when I show up to a tournament, I kind of just stay in my own lane, try to play my best, and hopefully try to win the tournament.

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

Vu’s comment echoed what she said last year: that the burden of expectation does tricky things. She revealed that she was playing well in the run-up to her first major win. “Then [I] started thinking about it [Rolex Player of Year] (and) started playing worse. So, now, I just try to play well.” In between the two major triumphs, the 26-year-old missed four cuts from five outings. The mantra has remained the same, rolling into this season as well.“Usually, when you think about the cut line, you end up missing the cut. If you think about winning, you’re kind of well above it,” the World No. 1 told the presspersons.

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This will be the sixth edition of the event. Last played in 2018, Blue Bay LPGA was removed from the Tour’s calendar. Moreover, COVID restrictions resulted in cancellations several times after 2020. Along with Lilia Vu, Celine Boutier, Lydia Ko, and Ruoning Yin will return to the greens. 

Read More: Lilia Vu WITB 2024: LPGA Tour Pro’s Golf Bag Explored