Lilia Vu stormed to her second Major victory of the year winning the 2023 AIG Women’s Open by six strokes at Walton Heath.
The American, who won the first Major of the year at The Chevron Championship in April, began the day as co-leader alongside England’s Charley Hull on nine-under-par.
Vu got off to a strong start with a birdie on the second hole and followed it up with another on the ninth to be in control at the halfway stage of the final round.
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The 25-year-old then added further birdies on 10 and 12 before she ran into trouble at the 15th but still came away with a bogey.
But Vu soon bounced back with a birdie on 16 and finished in style with a birdie on 18 to seal a final round of 67 (-5) and win the final Major of the year with a total of 14-under-par.
“I can’t thank my team and my family enough for really believing in me,” said Vu. “It was really hard for the past couple of months and somehow, they really believed in me and helped me get this win here.
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“I love playing with Charley [Hull], she is so fun to watch. I remember looking back yesterday at the crowd and just wanting to play with her today. She is so great, so nice and I love playing with her. She’s a really great golfer.
“This has been the best crowd I have ever played in front of in my life. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life. They have been so great; I know they were rooting for Charley, but they clapped for me too which is amazing.”
England’s Hull finished in outright second place on eight-under-par after carding a round of 73 (+1) on the final day at Walton Heath.
India’s Diksha Dagar finished a career-best T21, ending with another superb back-nine show.
After a 2-over front nine, she was 3-under for the back nine for a 1-under scorecard. With rounds of 74-71-72-71, she totalled even par 288 for four days.
Aditi Ashok shot a second straight 75 to fall to T-40 with rounds of 72-69-75-75. She was Tied-ninth at the halfway stage of the tournament but slipped over the weekend.
Diksha’s result of T21 was the best-ever by an Indian woman at a Major, bettering T22 by Aditi at the 2018 Women’s Open.
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Playing her fourth Women’s Open, this was the first time Diksha had made the cut after missing cuts in 2019, 2020 and 2022. This was her sixth Major overall and the first time she had made the cut.
Diksha’s winnings of $84,162 was also the highest of her professional career and it took her back into the Top-5 of the Ladies European Tour’s Race to Costa Del Sol, where Aditi is lying third.
Lying T35 after the third round, Diksha bogeyed fourth and sixth on the front nine and turned in 2-over. On the back nine, which she had played in par or better each of the first three days, Diksha found birdies on the 12th, 15th and 17th to bounce back.
She also missed a couple of chances. Despite finding fewer fairways and fewer greens in regulation, Diksha putted her best for the week with just 28 putts after going over 30 putts on the first three days.
Aditi, lying T28 after the third day, birdied once each on the front and back nines, but bogeyed five times in her 75 and finished T40.
