UCLA women’s golf alumnus Lilia Vu showcases perseverance on road to Olympic debut
UCLA alumnus Lilia Vu boasts five tournament first-place finishes, along with 18 top-10 finishes. The No. 2-ranked golfer will make her Olympic debut Aug. 7. (Graphic by Gabrielle Vogel/Daily Bruin staff)
By Chloe Agas
Aug. 6, 2024 11:55 a.m.
Athletes spend years preparing to represent their nation at the Olympics.
For UCLA women’s golf alumnus Lilia Vu, her Olympic debut on the national team is about more than just a title – it’s one filled with perseverance.
On June 25, Team USA announced the women’s golf team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Vu is set to complete in the 72-hole individual stroke play event from Wednesday to Saturday.
Vu – who currently sits at No. 2 in the world rankings with five career victories and 18 top-ten finishes – was selected as one of three players representing the United States. Vu rose to the No. 1 Women’s World Golf ranking during the 2023 season, and despite USA teammate Nelly Korda overtaking the No. 1 ranking this year, Vu successfully qualified for the Games based on LPGA ranking, seasonal performance and points garnered during competitive tournaments.
But prior to her Olympic debut, Vu sustained a back injury and was sidelined for two months earlier this year, allowing her to evaluate her current state and implement new training routines.
“When you’re doing all the stuff you don’t know if it’s going to work right away,” she said in an interview with ASAP Sports. “I took two months off, kind of just learned how my body reacted and just my tendencies.”
In June, Vu secured first place at the Meijer LPGA Classic – something she attributed to her newfound regimen.
“I tend to get in my own way of being hard and being a perfectionist on my performance, and that made me take a step back,” Vu said in an emailed statement. “It took away from golf, and I ended up playing better.”
Vu said not qualifying for the Chevron Championship in 2022 became a turning point in redefining her professional tour.
“I was really hard on myself and upset with how I played. I felt like (I) didn’t live up to … what I see myself as,” Vu said in the interview. “I changed my perspective for the remaining tournaments and tried to have fun out here and appreciate where I’m at.”
The Olympics presents itself as an international reflection of her accomplishments thus far.
Vu is set to make her Olympic debut representing the U.S. at Le Golf National on Aug. 7.
