THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 11, 2023

Lilia Vu

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Joined now by Lilia Vu here at The ANNIKA after her third round. What was working so well for you, especially on the back nine? You had a couple more scoring opportunities than the front.

LILIA VU: Yeah, my ball striking was really good. On the back nine I was hitting it really close. Proximity was really good. A lot of chances for birdie that way.

And then the front nine was a little slow, but I just kept chugging along until the birdies came.

Q. You told Golf Channel this is a difficult course. We are seeing a ton the low scores today. Why do you think that is? Conditions a little better, people figuring out the course? What do you think it is?

LILIA VU: I think people kind of figuring out the course. There is some holes that you have 9-iron in; some holes you have 6-irons in.

10 is difficult and then 1 is easy, so you have give or take. You just really want to attack the course the way it's meant to be.

Q. When did Player of the Year become a goal of yours?

LILIA VU: Honestly, not until The Open. I think after The Open. I think because I just didn't do well at KPMG and the U.S. Open, and I was just kind of more worried about getting my game kind of good, back to good, not even like great.

So I think not until after the Open I started thinking about it. Then started thinking about it, started playing worse, so now I don't think about it. I just try to play well. It's just balance.

Q. Yeah. What would it mean to you?

LILIA VU: Oh, it would mean almost too much. I think this year has been phenomenal for me, more than I expected. Last year was really hard on myself, and then from before, just being on Epson Tour and just thinking about not even playing anymore, I think I'm glad I didn't give up and I'm here now.

Q. So it's a vote on the PGA TOUR; here it's a points system. When did you first become aware of how Player of the Year worked on the LPGA? Do you like the points system?

LILIA VU: I still don't know how it works. I kind of just try and go into every single tournament with my best and give it my all.

At the end of the day, that's my only goal, just to give it my all.

Q. Do you look at the points?

LILIA VU: No, I haven't looked at it. Yeah, so I don't know. What's it at?

Q. So only when we ask questions?

LILIA VU: Yeah, when you guys mention I'm like, what are we at and then I'll know, but I don't actively look. I don't think that's good for me. The way I work, as long as I'm doing what I need to do, then I'll be okay.

Q. You did what you needed to do today. Season low round out here. I have to look at career scores. 62 this late in the year with everything that you have on the line, how good does that feel and what does that tell you about where your game is at the moment?

LILIA VU: Feels really good. This course is difficult. Honestly, Cole, my caddie is gonna love this. I think we played well because I had Texas Roadhouse last night. I might have to go back. I don't know. I just love Texas Roadhouse.

And then, yeah, I have this theory that if I eat steak the night before a round I'll play really well. Here it is again, proving its point.

Q. That was the thing at Chevron for you, too, right? Was it?

LILIA VU: If it's not Texas Roadhouse then I usually find way to get steak. Next week I'll have an airbnb so my mom will be making steak for me.

Q. How do you like your steak?

LILIA VU: Medium rare. Anything else is beef jerky.

Q. Back to golf. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I feel like you're a player, for lack of a better way to put it, a little bit of blood in the water you really go after things. Being in this position, having another chance at another win this year, what's the mindset heading into tomorrow?

LILIA VU: So today I came in with kind of like, oh, be really fun to see how many birdies we can make. Just even the process of reading a putt is really fun to me. I know, kind of a golf nerd, but I know nothing about golf so it's kind of weird.

I think just the process of trying to make a birdie is really fun to me. I'm going to try and do that every hole tomorrow.

Q. It's really easy for golfers to look at some of the other stuff, Player of the Year. Have you always been the type to say, if I shoot my best round, win a tournament, finish high, everything falls into place, or did you have to teach yourself that?

LILIA VU: I think there is like some days I have bad days thinking about putting too much pressure on myself. I kind of have to remind myself not to think about that, like winning Player of the Year or other stuff.

So I think if I just kind of make my goal really small for the day and then hit that goal every day and end up winning a tournament, it kind of just solves itself. Then I don't have to think about that, yeah.

Q. With all the talk about steak, anybody approached you about a sponsorship? Texas Roadhouse out there somewhere, right?

LILIA VU: Maybe. That would be my dream. Texas Roadhouse our Bucky's would be like one of my dream sponsorships. Okay, Cole is going to kill me. Or anything cat related.

Q. I can't go anywhere.

LILIA VU: I know. We're going on so many tangents.

Q. How much steak would you have? For next week for example, how many nights would you have steak?

LILIA VU: Probably do two next week during tournament rounds. Who knows. If it works the first day, we're just going to keep going.

Q. You said cat related. Tell us about your new addition.

LILIA VU: Yes, I have a new cat. His name is Walton for Walton Heath, and he's the cutest little things. He's with my grandma right now and I'm scared he's going to like her more than me. I can't wait to get back to home to him after CME.

Q. What kind of cat is he?

LILIA VU: He's a ragdoll. Two months old.

Q. Where did you get him?

LILIA VU: In Korea. Okay, yes, another long story. So Andrea got a dog in Korea, Andrea Lee. She had texted me, oh, I got my dog. Your turn. So I took my mom. It's like a little pet store near our hotel and my mom was like, get him. I was like, okay. Going to make it work. So he's American now.

Q. So he flew from Korea?

LILIA VU: He did, yeah.

Q. Wow. (Regarding signing an autograph.)

LILIA VU: Yes. Yeah, the pet store has an autograph and a photograph with me and the owner.

Q. What kind of dog did Andrea get?

LILIA VU: It's a little tiny Yorkie, like half a pound. It's so cute. I have to ask her if she got it yet.

Sorry, there was a lot of different topics.

Q. It's not often players bring a pet home from a tournament.

LILIA VU: I know. I next time LPGA should not have a pet store near the hotel. Yeah, it's dangerous.