Cementing her place in major history, Lilia Vu (Pro V1x) earned her second major title of 2023 at the AIG Women’s Open, running away with a six-shot victory at Walton Heath.
Vu, 25, mounted a weekend charge for the books, posting back-to-back 5-under 67’s to reach 14-under and cruise to her third win of the LPGA season (Honda LPGA Thailand, The Chevron Championship, AIG Women’s Open). No one shot a lower score over the weekend, and Vu's Sunday 67 was at least two shots better than any of the other top-15 finishers.
She made just one bogey over her final 22 holes and was one of just three players to turn in four rounds of level par or better (72-68-67-67).
Vu is the third player since the inception of the LPGA in 1950 to enter a year with no career LPGA wins, then go on to win multiple majors that season.
Lilia Vu made the move to 2023 Pro V1x to begin the season, having tested the ball at home during the offseason. In her first LPGA start with the new model at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February, she posted a bogey-free 8-under 64 in the final round to claim her first LPGA victory. Two months later, she won her first major with a playoff victory at the Chevron Championship. On Sunday, she became a two-time major winner and an Open champion.
Both 2023 Pro V1 and Pro V1x are engineered with high gradient core designs that deliver lower long game spin for increased distance and a more consistent flight, while maintaining the Drop-and-Stop greenside control that Pro V1 and Pro V1x players rely on to play their best.
“It helped bring down the spin and it was just perfect for my game,” she said. “Yeah, everything about it. The biggest thing for me is I really wanted the same feel coming out of the old golf ball. It just happened to be that way, so it worked out really well.”
Both the 2023 Open Championship and AIG Women’s Open were won by Titleist golf ball players in runaway six-shot victories: Brian Harman with his Pro V1 golf ball at Royal Liverpool and Lilia Vu at Walton Heath with her Pro V1x golf ball.
This week in Surrey, 105 players teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball – 73% of the field and more than eight times the nearest competitor) – including the champion and eight of the top 10 finishers.
The winner of the AIG Women’s Open trusted Titleist for her short game setup, bringing her Vokey Design SM9 56.10S and 60.08M wedges and Scotty Cameron GOLO 5 tour prototype putter to the winner’s circle for the third time this year. The champion put on a clinic on and around the greens this week at Walton Heath, leading the field in Scrambling percentage (76.5%) and Bogey Avoidance (five bogeys total). She finished T2 in one-putts per round among those who made the cut (7.25) and needed just 25 total putts on Sunday, the least in the field.
Stephen Ames (Pro V1) won for the fourth time this year, besting the field by seven shots after a final round 9-under 63. Ames closed out the victory in style, making birdies on Nos. 14-17 before eagling 18 to post his third consecutive round of 67 or better (67-67-63). Ames led the field in Bogey Avoidance and made 16 birdies along with three eagles for the week. He finished T5 in Greens in Regulation (38/54, 70%) and got his Pro V1 up-and-down 81% of the time (13/16).
The last 13 PGA Tour Champions events have been won with a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, as have 17 of the 18 total events this 2023 season.
The winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur played a Pro V1x golf ball on her way to a 4-and-3 victory in the 36-hole championship match at Bel-Air Country Club. The champion got off to a strong start in the morning 18, making six birdies to jump out to a 3-up lead at the halfway mark. She kept up her strong play in the afternoon and made a winning par on the 33rd hole of the match to close out the title.
With her win this week in Los Angeles, the winner receives exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster C.C. and the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, as well as the next 10 U.S. Women’s Amateurs (if eligible). She will also receive invitations to the 2024 Chevron Championship, AIG Women's British Open and Amundi Evian Championship.
This week at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Titleist was the most played brand in all major equipment categories with more golf balls, drivers, fairways, hybrids, utilities, irons, wedges and putter in play at Bel-Air than any competitive brand.
Titleist also swept the counts at this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s National Championships, the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, U.S. Four-Ball Championship and all seven Elite Amateur Golf Series events (Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North and South Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Southern Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur, Western Amateur).
About Titleist Media Center
Titleist, Golf’s Symbol of Excellence, is the game's leading performance equipment brand, having earned the overwhelming trust of tour professionals, club professionals, competitive amateurs and dedicated golfers worldwide. The Titleist golf ball embodies superior performance, innovative design and technology, precision manufacturing and unmatched quality. It is the unequivocal #1 ball in golf, and has been for 70 years and still counting. Titleist also sets the standard for golf clubs through an unwavering commitment to performance, meticulous attention to detail, and as the game’s preeminent golf club fitter. Titleist golf gear, comprising golf bags, headwear, travel gear, accessories and golf gloves, also delivers the performance and quality excellence promised in every product that bears the Titleist Script.
Contact details
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- James Savage
- PR and Communications Manager at Acushnet Europe Ltd
- james_savage@acushnetgolf.com