THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 21, 2023

Lilia Vu

The Club at Carlton Woods

Quick Quotes

Q. I know it's been a long day, a long morning, but just overall your thoughts getting through Carlton Woods today.

LILIA VU: Just really happy to finish. Coming down the stretch on the back nine, just didn't hit it very good off the tee, and obviously tried to chip out and make up-and-down, but it's quite tough out here, so I'm happy to be done.

Q. What were some of the differences you felt between the front nine and the back nine for yourself?

LILIA VU: I think just being solid off the tee and just hitting it in the places that I want to be for each pin, and yeah, I didn't do a good job on the back nine, but it's okay.

Q. I know it's only Friday, but were you looking at leaderboards? Did you know how you were doing as you were coming down the back nine?

LILIA VU: I think it's pretty early. It doesn't really mean anything. I'm just going to try and do my thing and try and birdie every hole.

Q. I don't think I've ever seen anyone hit so many putts the exact right speed; is that kind of your game? Do you normally die every putt right around the hole?

LILIA VU: I'm known to be a pretty firm putter, I guess, but I think here it's pretty slippery out here. You can't really afford to blast it by nine feet, even though I did a couple times already today and yesterday. It's okay, you just live and learn.

Q. One of the things that you are known for is going at flags, no matter what the situation is you're firing at it. Is that something that you've adjusted as your career has gone on, or are you still going at them?

LILIA VU: I think I unconsciously do it because my caddie always tells me like oh, left center of the green is perfect, and then I'll hit and it's directly at the flag, and he's like, well, that wasn't left center, and I'm like, sorry, it just happened.

Q. A year ago you missed the cut at this event. Could you have imagined a year later being in contention here?

LILIA VU: Yeah, I mean, I think last year I had a pretty good season. I don't really take to heart a missed cut because I know that I'm pretty good and pretty solid. I was pretty excited to come back out here and just try and do better than I did last year.

Q. The second half of the season through this year you've been super consistent. What parts of your game do you point to as being the key parts of that run?

LILIA VU: I think it's just all mental. I just wanted to win so badly towards the end of last season and put too much pressure on myself, and now I'm just allowing whatever to happen happen and try and have fun out there.

Q. Are there any mental coaches you've worked with, or how did you come to that realization?

LILIA VU: I think that's more of just an accumulation of all the self-help and personal development books I've read over COVID, and I just had a lot of time to read that stuff.

Q. You've obviously been playing so well of late. When something happens like 15 and 16, you looked a little angry with yourself. Is there a different mentality now, though, because you've kind of built this up over the last few starts that hey, I can shake it off a lot more quickly than maybe in the past?

LILIA VU: Yeah, I try to remind myself that it's a really tough week. Everybody is going to make mistakes. It's just how I come back from it, and then just try and make birdie the next hole and just let it go. It takes a lot out of me. I think Cole does a good job of trying to get me back into a better mood, but yeah, I'm just trying to be nice to myself this week.

Q. Can you talk about just in terms of the front nine, getting out ahead of everyone here with the weather conditions the way they were. It's the luck of the draw, but how well does that work out for you?

LILIA VU: You know, I don't know because the afternoon wave hasn't played yet. I don't know if them playing half today and then half tomorrow morning, how the condition is going to change for them, so I guess I'll figure it out once I see the scores.

Q. But were they pretty conducive for you to kind of go at flags this morning?

LILIA VU: Yes, I think they're a little wetter conditions and just a little slower, but I'm pretty sure they're going to speed up really quick.

Q. Just lastly, again, going back to last year, we're talking about a major; at the halfway point of a major you're in this position. The evolution of you over the last couple of years, is this something you pictured? Obviously you had the pedigree, but did you really picture this two years ago being in this position at a halfway point of a major?

LILIA VU: Two years ago, maybe not. I think I've grown a lot since COVID, and I think I just never looked back. I was in such a bad mindset my rookie year. Everything was life or death, and that's not how I see things anymore. I feel like there's always a solution to any problem, so I just try to stay positive, even though I get really angry sometimes when I make a mistake. I just try to look up and be positive.

Q. What do you think has been the biggest factor to your success through these first two rounds?

LILIA VU: Just no expectations. I know it's a difficult course. Everybody is going to make mistakes. I'm just going to give myself as many opportunities as I can for birdie and then just try and make them. If not, just move on to the next one and try again.

Q. I know this was an unfamiliar course to most of you guys. Now that you have two rounds under your belt, are you feeling more comfortable? Do you feel good where you're at on this course?

LILIA VU: I mean, still, it's a pretty demanding golf course. Wind can change, speed of the greens can change. Still, I don't think it's going to be super easy this weekend, even though we've played it twice.

Q. You touched on it that you're glad to get the round completed and everything, but how important is that where you're finished, you've got 36 holes in, and tomorrow you just have to worry about just 18 holes?

LILIA VU: Yeah, really happy to finish today. I think the weather was pretty nice for us, no rain, just a little bit of wind.

Yeah, I'm happy, and then just going to go home and see my physio and get ready for tomorrow.

Q. Did you sleep well or did you hear some --

LILIA VU: I did not sleep well. I think I slept like four hours. I just closed my eyes and then 10 seconds later my alarm was ringing.