THE MODERATOR: All right, I know a lot of people here are dying to talk to you. Welcome inside the media center here at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
I am pleased to be joined by this year's champion, Lilia Vu.
Lilia, starting the day eight shots back of the lead, what was the mindset and mentality to get to this point right here?
LILIA VU: I wasn't thinking about winning. I was thinking about shooting 8-under to make top 10. I feel like it can get scorable out here but I think it's just my kind of delusional mind where I'm like okay everybody is probably making a million birdies.
I was just on my own journey. This is the one day I was playing really well. Felt really good with my swing. Obviously coming back from an injury I was a little up in the air not knowing my swing and just felt like I didn't know where my arms where if I wasn't tight.
I was just trying to make contact today. That's it.
Q. Finishing 18 in regulation, nice week back to get your feet under you to you being in a playoff, what was that shift like so fast?
LILIA VU: Yeah, it was so fast. I kind of just knew I needed to go eat and stretch again and warm up on the range again, just see how it all played out.
And then I've been in this position before in playoffs and I was just trying to do what I could do. We were all playing so well. We get to 4 and I hit a good drive and it was one of the only times I could go for the green.
Ended up in the bunker and made up and down, and somehow I'm here with the trophy.
Q. Your caddie talked about you made a lot of your mid-range putts, five- and six-footers that are so key. Usually you come back after a layoff like that and being a little rusty there.
LILIA VU: Yeah.
Q. What was helping you knock those down?
LILIA VU: I think my mindset when it comes to putting is pretty simple: It goes in or it doesn't. I don't put a lot of pressure on it. It goes in or it doesn't. I think kind of that relieves the pressure for me and I just go for it.
Q. You talked about the birdie (no microphone)starting the day eight strokes back. After everything you've been through this week, the last couple months, what was the emotion when that putt went in? What was the initial reaction?
LILIA VU: I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe I won this week. I think I was setting my bar really low so that I could meet it. I think because I tend to get in my own way when I'm trying to win, that's when I don't win most of the time, so just trying to stay in my lane, take advantage of all the good shots, and make all the birdie putts that I get.
Q. When you say you were just trying to make contact, was there ever a point this week where it felt like you were getting more in a groove or the whole time you're just trying to make contact?
LILIA VU: I think the past three days I was hitting my irons pretty well but my driver was kind of squirrelly. And then today for some reason I was hitting my driver so well and I knew if I could get myself in position on the fairway I had a great chance of making a birdie for that hole.
Q. And can you just talk about obviously you've been out for the last couple tournaments due to an injury. How is it -- is it extra satisfying the way you've been out trying to battle back, recover, and come away with this win?
LILIA VU: Yeah, I'm very satisfied with this week. My team, I have the best people around me. They've helped me get to this point. Obviously I was really sad to not be able to defend my title at Chevron and also miss the U.S. Women's Open, but I feel like I needed those weeks off to kind of let my body recover and stop just playing through the pain.
Q. How do you physically feel out there? Did you feel zero affect off that or did you feel 100% out there?
LILIA VU: It's hard to feel 100%, but I think I've been 95% and I think obviously I played more than 18 holes today, so kind of feeling a little tight. It's all good. It's not the same as before.
Q. What was it like for you going through that overtime session there? Little bit of nervousness? Was there excitement to be a part of all that?
LILIA VU: I was a little nervous, but I was just trying to play my game. I knew that everyone was going to probably birdie 18 easily, so I knew that -- I was just going to try and do that. Ended up going to 4. I hit a good drive and was able to convert with that good drive.
Q. Can you just talk about the competition itself? Seemed like very, very competitive between all the last three golfers right there during overtime. Nobody really wanted to give in and ended up going three holes altogether, right?
LILIA VU: Yeah, I think that's a given, though, because they played this hole so many times and they're both really good golfers and know they're trying to win a tournament. It's not like, okay, let's just hit and giggle. I know everybody was trying to win.
Q. Your first win you came back from six strokes back. What would you say that you maybe remember the most about that tournament and winning that day versus today and kind of again coming back from being far back and still winning it all?
LILIA VU: It's kind of similar I would say. I felt like my first win I had blinders on. In the fourth round I was just focused on making birdies. I kind of felt like that today. I felt like I left some out there, too.
And so once I got the opportunity for the playoff, I got to the box and my caddie said, there is nothing to lose now. We just went out there and played.
Q. Welcome back.
LILIA VU: Thank you.
Q. We know your story. We know you're just a picture of resiliency. We saw that play out last year with how much you won. What does this one mean? I know the circumstances before were a little bit tougher maybe, but for you, what does this mean to be able to come back from this injury and triumph in this way?
LILIA VU: I think this is the most meaningful win, because there was a time two months ago where I was just crying on the range not being sure if I would every play a tournament again without pain.
And, you know, like to be here today, it's just incredible. Just the team I have around me, they've supported me through everything and I just can't believe that we're in this position today.
Definitely wasn't in the mindset of winning. I just happened to win. I'm very grateful for everything.
Q. How have you taken this challenge and really given yourself grace and learned and matured from this challenge?
LILIA VU: I'm still trying to figure that out, too. I think I just take it day by day what's in front of me, one shot at time. Sounds like a broken record. I say it all the time. But when I'm able to get in the mindset of focusing on the shot in front of me, I tend to get the job done.
Q. There is a look that you get when you're in these big moments. I don't know if it's intensity. I don't think that's the right word. What shifts in your mind when you have an opportunity to win? I know you're a player that likes to make birdies and play aggressive. Seems like there is a shift in the big moments that allows you to capitalize? Is that something you can put words to that maybe changes in your brain?
LILIA VU: I think I just block out all the noise and I focus on what shot I'm trying to achieve. That kind of -- I think that relieves the pressure, takes all the outside noise and blocks it out. I know I can hit it shot. I've hit it a million times.
Then I just go out there and do it. Nothing else matters in that moment.
Q. Again, with everything, I know your family has always been there for you and has been a big part of your journey in golf. What has it meant to have them there and to do this on Father's Day? I don't know if your dad was around, but saw your mom hanging with you on the range.
LILIA VU: I mean, the support I've gotten at home from all of my family and friends back at the clubs at home, have been so great; it makes me so emotional.
I know some people get emotional even wishing me good luck at this event. To know that people care, I just try my best for the people around me. I'm able to do this because I have them.
Q. You mentioned a couple months ago being at a point on the range where you thought you might not play in tournaments again. What part of the year was that, and what did your team around you tell to you help you get geared back towards finding a way back to competing again?
LILIA VU: I think the breaking point, tipping point was Chevron. Not being able to compete there really killed me. I feel like I thought I was taking the steps in the right direction, but I'm glad that I was able to take a couple months off and reevaluate my body, let it recover, do what I needed to do to get back out here again.
And we did the right thing and took two months off. I think it hurt me not to play competitive golf because I literally live for competitive golf, but we did the right thing and that's why I'm here today.
Q. Coming back to today, when you walked off the course you had a couple hours before the playoff. At what point in time did you think a playoff might happen?
LILIA VU: I think I only had 30, 40 minutes. I went to go eat and went to stretch and foam roll and do my activation moves and went to the range and hit my normal warmup and went from there.
THE MODERATOR: With that, that will wrap it for us. Congratulations Lilia.
LILIA VU: Thank you everyone.
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