Lilia Vu produced a surprising five-under 67 to win her second main title, following on from her Chevron Championship win; Charley Hull claimed second at Walton Heath and Jiyai Shin took third forward of Hyo Joo Kim and Amy Yang
By Ali Stafford at Walton Heath
Last Updated: 13/08/23 6:36pm
Lilia Vu cruised to a dominant victory at the AIG Women’s Open
Lilia Vu registered a second main title of the season after holding off dwelling favorite Charley Hull to declare a six-shot win at the AIG Women’s Open.
Vu began the day tied for the lead and by no means relinquished prime spot throughout a formidable show at Walton Heath, the place the American blended six birdies with a lone bogey to card a five-under 67 and finish the week on 14 underneath.
The 25-year-old’s success follows her Chevron Championship win earlier within the season and sees her turn out to be the primary play since Jin Young Ko in 2019 to win a number of girls’s main within the calendar 12 months, whereas Hull had to accept second after a irritating last day.
Charley Hull holed a sensational bunker shot for an eagle on the par-five eleventh through the last day
Hull holed a long-range par-save at the final to end on eight underneath forward of Jiyai Shin, her second runner-up end in majors this season, with Jiyai Shin an additional stroke again in third forward of Hyo Joo Kim and Amy Yang.
Vu the star at Walton Heath
The last group opened with pars earlier than Vu rolled in a 12-foot birdie at the second and received up and down from the sand at the subsequent, the place Hull made bogey and fell two behind after discovering thick tough along with her strategy.
Watch how Charley Hull shortly misplaced floor on Lilia Vu with back-to-back bogeys early in her last spherical
Hull hit a poor tee shot at the fourth and missed the inexperienced along with her second on her means to one other bogey, giving Vu a three-shot cushion when she two-putted from the perimeter for par, with the followers’ favorite then lipping out along with her 30-foot birdie try at the fifth.
Both gamers had been unable to make the most of the par-five sixth and had to scramble pars at the seventh after failing to get on the inexperienced with their approaches, as Kim – enjoying within the group forward – made back-to-back birdies from the eighth to briefly lower the lead to two.
Charley Hull’s good birdie try on the fifth one way or the other stayed out, leaving her having to accept par!
Vu signed off a bogey-free entrance 9 by making a 20-foot birdie at the ninth and added one other from a number of toes nearer at the subsequent, which noticed her go 5 clear when Kim dropped a shot at the par-five eleventh for the primary of successive bogeys.
Hull briefly raised hopes of a back-nine cost with a sensational bunker hole-out for eagle at the eleventh, taking her inside three, just for Vu to reply by firing a surprising strategy to tap-in vary at the par-four subsequent to restore a four-shot cushion.
Charley Hull’s runner-up end is her second in majors this season, following on from the US Women’s Open
The pair exchanged pars over the subsequent two holes because the chasing pack’s hopes light, whereas Vu gave Hull a lifeline when she had to pitch out from the shrubbery after which missed the inexperienced along with her shot to put up a primary bogey of her spherical.
Vu’s lead stayed at 4 after her enjoying associate three-putted from lengthy vary to additionally drop a shot, with Hull’s hopes ended when she missed an eagle try from inside 10 toes at the par-five sixteenth and matching Vu’s birdie.
Hull dropped a shot after a wayward drive at the par-three seventeenth, the place protesters briefly entered the inexperienced with smoke flares earlier than being shortly escorted away by safety, as Vu made par to take a five-shot lead to the par-four final.
Another errant drive at the final noticed Hull hacking out into the green bunker earlier than she holed a spectacular long-range par save to stay on eight underneath, earlier than Vu poured in a prolonged birdie to full a memorable win in type.
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