By: Max Bechtoldt
If you were wondering what the recipe is for winning four tournaments in a year, two of them majors, and player of the year, you might want to look at how that player putted in the final round.
Yes, Lilia Vu’s 2023 season was one of the most dominant in recent memory. Despite missing four cuts in the middle of the year, Vu bookended the LPGA major season by winning the Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open. Her putting in general was strong, but in the final rounds it took on a new level.
For the season, Vu was No. 10 in strokes gained putting on the LPGA Tour at .86. Vu clearly relied on her putter to make a lot of birdies, ranking second on tour in putts per green in regulation. But, in the final rounds, Vu ranked No. 1 in strokes gained putting for the season at 1.87. What’s the explanation for the huge jump in her round four stats? It may sound cliche, but Vu is really clutch.
My strongest memory of Vu’s 2023 season, is undoubtedly her stepping up and drilling her exclamation point putt at the AIG Women’s Open. The confidence she shows, especially when it matters most, is what puts her in this slot.
