WALTON-ON-THE-HILL, England — Lilia Vu was already smiling when her long, snaking birdie putt dropped into the cup on the 18th green, confirming her — not that it was ever in doubt — as the AIG Women’s Open champion and a two-time major winner.
The 25-year-old Californian has plenty to smile about.
A first LPGA Tour win. Two major championships. An imminent ranking of No. 1 in the world.
How that’s for a breakthrough season?
“It sounds almost unreal,” Vu said.
With accurate driving and relentless reliability on the greens, Vu took any potential drama out of the final round of the year’s last major by staying largely out of trouble at Walton Heath and shooting 5-under 67 for a 6-stroke victory on Sunday.
She began the day tied for the lead with popular home hope Charley Hull, with 11 players within 5 shots of them. By the time she teed off on No. 11, Vu led by 5 after seeing all of her rivals — including top-ranked Nelly Korda — falter one by one.
Hull, roared on by the locals on a course located just 30 minutes from where she grew up, holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle at the par-5 11th to trim the lead to 3 shots.
Vu responded with an approach to 3 feet for birdie at No. 12 and was never threatened down the stretch.
She walked down No. 18…
