AMERICAN LILIA VU sealed her second major title of the year with a dominant six-shot victory over Charley Hull at the Women’s British Open on Sunday.
The 25-year-old, who lifted her maiden major trophy at the Chevron Championship in April, started the day tied with England’s Hull but pulled away with a five-under-par final round of 67.
Vu produced a Sunday masterclass, finishing with a birdie. Leona Maguire finished up on one-over after a final round of 71 while Stephanie Meadow slipped back to six-over after hitting a 79 on the last day.
Maguire picked up three birdies and two bogeys in her final round but it was a more difficult day for Meadow who was hit with five bogeys and a double bogey on the 11th.
Even a demonstration by climate activists Just Stop Oil at the short 17th – powder was thrown onto the green – could not spoil Vu’s march to victory and on her way to the world. No.1 ranking.
Vu started the final day tied with home favourite Hull and made the perfect start with a ten foot birdie putt at the first.
By the time she had added more birdies at the fourth and tenth her lead had been extended to a comfortable five shots.
Hull, who dropped shots at three and four, raised hopes of mounting a comeback when she holed out of a bunker for an eagle three at the 11th. But Vu immediately hit back with an unanswered tap-in birdie at the 12th.
The 25-year-old Californian made her only bogey after driving into heather at the 15th, but Hull also dropped a shot and it was all but over.
Vu has not had an easy road to the top.
She turned professional in 2019 but made only one cut in nine starts on her first season on the LPGA Tour, She then stepped back to the Epson Tour and won three events in 2021 to regain her LPGA card.
She finally made her LPGA winning debut at a tournament in Thailand at the start of this year before making her major breakthrough at the Chevron Championship in April.
She won the Chevron via a play-off – major number two was more straightforward.
Hull, who also finished tied second in the US Women’s Open last month, again had to settle again for the runner-up spot after a 73, while Korea’s Jiyai Shin, the two-time former champion, closed with a 70 for third place on seven under
England’s Charlotte Heath won the Smyth Salver for the leading amateur. She closed with a 76 for seven over par.
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