(Reuters) -American Lilia Vu left English hope and fellow overnight leader Charley Hull trailing in the dust as she won the Women’s British Open by six strokes to lift her second major and pocket a record winner’s cheque of $1.35 million on Sunday.
Vu sank six birdies which were offset by a bogey on the 15th but she was well in control as she finished at 14-under overall to win at the Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England four months after claiming the Chevron Championship.
“It sounds almost unreal,” Vu said. “It just comes down to not thinking about winning, playing one shot at a time. This golf course really forces you to do that, it really tests you. That was my only goal.
“I was not calm inside, trust me. Just to be here today, I can’t thank my family enough for believing in me.”
By the time both golfers reached the 18th, Vu had a comfortable lead and easily found the fairway and green to finish with a birdie while Hull made par with a long putt despite initially finding the bunker.
The 25-year-old Vu was barely given enough time to take in the moment amid applause before she was soaked in champagne by her friends, who promptly emptied the bottle over her head.
Hull had raised hopes of a first home winner since Georgia Hall’s victory in 2018 when she signed for 68 on Saturday but an eagle on the 11th was not enough as she made four bogeys and just one birdie to finish with a final round of 73.
Vu praised the Briton’s performance, saying: “I love playing with Charley. She’s so fun to watch. I remember even yesterday looking back at her crowd and really wanting to play with her today.
“She’s so great, so nice and a really great golfer – you guys watch out for her!”
South Korea’s Jiyai Shin was a further shot back in third, while her compatriots Kim Hyo-joo (74) and Amy Yang (70) shared fourth spot on six under par.
World number one Nelly Korda finished tied-11th, with Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, who won the Women’s Scottish Open and Evian Championship in recent weeks, carding an error-free round of 68 to finish on one under par.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair and Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)
