Everything About 'Boat People 3rd Generation' Lilia Bu

Vietnamese Immigrant, Father a 'Swing Coach'
Former UCLA Champion, Strong with Iron and Putting
New Golf Queen with 3 Wins in Last 6 Months

The era of Lilia Vu (USA), a 'descendant of boat people,' is in full swing. Until last year, she had no wins on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, but she has secured 3 victories in the past six months.

On the 15th, she received a score of 8.28 in the women's golf world rankings, rising to 'Number 1.' Until last year, she remained at 44th in the world rankings, but after winning the LPGA Tour Honda Thailand in February, the major Chevron Championship in April, and last week's final major, the AIG Women's Open, she finally became the 'new queen of golf.' She surpassed formidable players such as Nelly Korda (USA), Ko Jin-young, and Lydia Ko (New Zealand).

Lilia Bu has emerged as the 'new golf queen' by sweeping up 3 wins, including 2 majors, in the past 6 months.

Vu made new history on the LPGA Tour. She became the first player since Ko Jin-young in 2019 to win two major tournaments in a single season. For an American player, this is a remarkable record not seen since Juli Inkster in 1999, 24 years ago. Not only is she first in the world rankings, but she is also first in Player of the Year points (154 points). She also claimed the 'Annika Major Award,' given to the player with the best performance in major tournaments. She ranks second in the CME Globe Race (2069 points) and the money list ($2,519,386). She exclaimed, "It's unbelievable to be ranked number one in the world," and added, "This year has been a crazy year for me."

Vu was born on October 14, 1997, in Fountain Valley, Orange County, California, USA. She is a Vietnamese-American. She is also known as a 'descendant of boat people.' Her maternal grandfather, Dean Du, secretly built a boat and escaped from communist Vietnam in 1982, seven years after the Vietnam War ended. He was rescued by a U.S. warship and settled near Los Angeles. Vu started playing golf at the age of six. Her father, Douglas Vu, acted as her coach. With the devoted support of her father and mother, Kieu Thuy, she nurtured her dream of becoming a golfer.

Vu has a special affection for her maternal grandfather. He passed away early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Vu said, "Even when my grandfather was hospitalized, he reminded me to do my best in tournaments." She expressed her heartfelt feelings, saying, "Even though he was unwell, he worried about me and my games," and "When things were tough on the course, I thought my grandfather was with me."

Vu shone brightly even during her amateur days. She played the ace role on the U.S. national team. In 2015, she entered the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), sweeping eight individual titles. She collected trophies at the Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup, and Espirito Santo Trophy in 2018. Between 2018 and 2019, she was ranked number one in the world amateur rankings for a total of 31 weeks. She turned professional in January 2019, marking a new chapter in her golf career.

Lilia Vu, a Vietnamese American (second from the right), is taking a commemorative photo with her family.
[Photo by LPGA]

Vu's start on the LPGA Tour was not easy. She finished tied for 27th in the 2019 LPGA Qualifying (Q) Series and joined the first-tier tour the following year. However, in 2020, she missed the cut in 8 out of 9 tournaments and ranked 176th on the money list ($3,830), dropping to the Epson Tour (formerly Symetra Tour), the second tier. In 2021, she won three times on the Epson Tour and earned Player of the Year honors, confidently returning to the regular tour in 2022. Last year, she maintained her card by finishing 30th on the money list ($918,939), then hit the jackpot this year.

Vu is not a powerful long hitter. Her average driving distance ranks 59th (261.01 yards). Her strengths lie in precise iron shots and putting. She ranks 24th in greens in regulation (70.83 yards) and 14th in putting (29.27 strokes). Especially when hitting greens, her putting is outstanding, with 1.75 putts per green, ranking second in this category.

Vu is a 'mixed equipment' player. She does not use specific brand products exclusively but carries various clubs in her caddie bag. She uses TaylorMade Stealth drivers and 3-wood fairway clubs. Her hybrid is a Callaway Apex UW, irons are Srixon Z585 (4-iron) and Srixon Z785 (#5 to PW). Her wedges are Titleist Vokey SM8 (56, 60 degrees), and her putter is the angular octagonal Scotty Cameron Golo 5. She uses Titleist Pro V1x golf balls, FootJoy Premier Series golf shoes, Titleist golf gloves, and Foray Golf apparel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.