THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Lilia Vu’s title defense of the Chevron Championship was over before it began. The World No. 2 informed the tour that she was withdrawing from the event before her 1:10 p.m. CDT tee time.
The LPGA did not reveal a reason for Vu’s withdrawal, but she has suffered from back pain this season, withdrawing from two events during the Asian swing. The former UCLA standout said during a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday at the Chevron that she was 95 percent recovered.
Apparently things turned for the worse quickly. An email to Vu’s agent was not immediately returned.
“It’s been a rough couple months battling with my injury,” said Vu on Tuesday. “It’s been a little scary. I’ve definitely cried a lot on the range sometimes because my back just couldn’t hold up.”
Chevron: Photos
Lilia Vu has withdrawn from The Chevron Championship before the first round. @LPGA
— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) April 18, 2024
Vu won four times on the LPGA last season, including two major championships, and was the tour’s Player of the Year.
She was asked earlier in the week what she thought about during the time she spent in the scoring area last year at The Club of Carlton Woods, waiting to see about a playoff.
“I think it was cold, and I was a little worried about my back,” she recalled. “It was actually really clutch last year. My physio was actually out of here on her way to Dallas, and I think after 30 minutes on her drive there she turned around and came back and had enough time to help me on the range and get ready for the playoff.”