THE MODERATOR: All right, hello and welcome to the media center at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. I'm joined by defending champion Lilia Vu. Just bouncing back to last year and what it meant to win here, can you just describe kind of thinking back to those emotions you had here last year?
LILIA VU: Yeah, I think winning here meant everything to me. It was after my two-month break from my back injury, and I remember I wanted to come to this event, felt like I was finally ready, and I didn't really have a goal for myself. I think I made it really easy: Just make contact with the golf ball. It was a running joke that week.
But I know I played well the first two days; made the cut pretty easily. By Sunday I think I was looking at the leaderboard around 12, 13, 14, and then on 15 I saw that I wasn't very far from the lead. Figured, okay, if I birdie 16, 17, 18, I might have a good chance at getting Top 5.
That was more of my mentality at that point, because I thought the last couple holes were kind of scorable. And, you know, I finished -- birdied 16, par'd 17, birdied 18 and I was clubhouse leader at that point, but I was perfectly content with how I played and really didn't imagine getting into a playoff. I thought they were just going to birdie out.
But was super happy to be in that position. I was a little worried because it was my first -- I think Wednesday was my first 18 holes played prior to that week. I was okay. I was in a good spot.
I was just nervous with the playoff having to re-warmup again. Walking down to the playoff hole I could feel my back being tight. All I said was, it's okay if I win or lose. I just hope it's going to be a short playoff.
We all birdied the 18th hole the first time we played and all birdied the second time we played. I think we moved on to hole No. 4 and I just remember thinking, okay, I'm going to try and finish it out now.
Q. How does this one rank for you among all your wins? I know every one is important. What would you summarize this win?
LILIA VU: The win last year showed me that I'm pretty resilient, and I think that means more to me than any of my wins.
Coming from an injury is always tougher. You're in such a bad mindset. I missed two majors last year, and to just be sitting at home not able to play a game you love so much, and not only that, I didn't know if I could play a tournament again, let alone 18 holes.
I think my mindset and goals at that point were kind of shifted in a different direction and I think it was for the better. Yeah, this win last year meant a lot to me.
Q. Thinking back, it's been a year since that happened. What has it been like going through those emotions realizing you can do it again? Can you summarize this past year, how this win carried you?
LILIA VU: Yeah, it's been kind of rocky still. More so of just my body is in a new spot. I've done some thing to change it. I've started working with a nutritionist to lower inflammation and my body is still getting adjusted.
I feel a lot better energy-wise and back is not hurting, but it did kind of affect kind of my golf game a little bit. I'll be completely honest.
I've been playing golf tight and in pain for, I don't know, my whole life, so now that I'm in a good spot and I'm not in pain anymore, it's kind of like the threshold and my limitations are so much less of the limitations.
I feel like I'm re-learning to play golf and just honing in my feels. I know I'm definitely still good and I just have to wait for everything to come together.
Q. You said that you're finally feeling better again. Last year after you won you said for those couple months you were also re-learning how to play golf full how has the last year impacted your game of you re-learning to play golf?
LILIA VU: I think it was just a whole lifestyle change. I'm more diligent with how I prepare before I hit a single golf ball, more diligent at night. And also adding the nutritionist is helping with the inflammation and less pain in that aspect, and then just knowing what I'm doing now is going to help the golf game.
I'm not too worried. I feel like an injury is not as fixable as golf. Say I'm playing really poorly. That's always fixable. But say you're in pain. It's really hard to come back from that. That takes time to come back from.
If it's golf that needs to get better I feel like there is always a solution for that.
Q. When you win a tournament that you weren't expecting to win, now that you're back here this year, do you expect to have a really low score and be up there competing for the win this weekend?
LILIA VU: No. I don't really put that kind of pressure on myself. I've had tournaments to defend in the past and always had a good mindset of this is just another tournament that I have a chance to win.
Sometimes people get so caught up with like, oh, I'm defending, I have to win. When you put yourself had that box it makes it harder to perform.
Q. This course sees really low scores every year.
LILIA VU: Uh-huh.
Q. What's it about it that allows everyone to play so well?
LILIA VU: I think it's kind of tough off the tee, it's more narrow, and I think I that forces everyone to kind of be more diligent off the tee.
And they hit more fairways that way. You can't really mindlessly play. Once you get you're in a good spot you're able to attack the pins and kind of convert your birdies there.
Although I played this morning. I thought the greens were way firmer. It might not be as low as last year.
Q. Interesting.
LILIA VU: Yeah.
Q. Last year with the playoff last year and during the rounds last year, the crowds, as you know, this is one of the tournaments where the whole city pretty much shuts down and comes to this event. As a player, when you're playing in front of big crowds like that at more community-driven events like that, how does that energize you or does it shift your strategy in terms of playing your rounds during the week?
LILIA VU: I think it just means so much more, right? What Meijer has done for the community, everyone is coming out to watch women's golf. We don't get the amount of people like this tournament at every tournament.
I've won at tournaments that only had maybe 40 people watching the final group. Also playing in the playoff with Lexi and seeing everyone just staying back, and to move from the 18th hole to the 4th hole was really good -- I don't know how that turned out. I thought that was a great idea.
Just it was so fun. I remember taking in the crowd, but at the same time just trying to finish the playoff and do my best. But it's so fun when we're playing this tournament and a playing game we love and there is a big crowd supporting us. It comes from Meijer and they've done such a good job making all the players feel welcome every year.
Q. You talked about some of the changes that you made that have impacted your game. How so?
LILIA VU: The changes? I mean, first and foremost, body changes would be kind of posture, the way I'm sitting, the way I walk. I'm more conscious about it now.
I think before last year I didn't have a lot of body awareness. Say I would kind of have aches and pains and I couldn't really explain to my physio what was actually hurting. She would kind of have to find the puzzle.
I think now that I've worked with other people and my whole entire team works together collectively, we're able to know where the pain is coming from and I understand that more. Even sitting on a plane, you have to sit correctly.
Everything is just way more intentional. The way I walk, sometimes I'm thinking about my foot pressure in the middle of a golf swing. That has to stay constant. Little things like that. It's definitely less golf-specific and more body-specific.
Q. What is unique about playing in this event than any other on Tour?
LILIA VU: I think this event is super fun. I think the crowds and just seeing by the weekend on hole No. 4 that huge grandstand, kind of runs along the whole hole. To see everybody coming out and having a good time and appreciating golf, it's in a great spot of Michigan and also for some reason I remember enjoying my pro-ams every single year.
It's 18 holes but I've definitely followed people on Instagram, became friends with them after it. I think it's just a great community.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much.
LILIA VU: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports