By Carey Van Lue

Two-time 2023 major champion is fourth American to earn the honor of World No. 1

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Aug. 14, 2023 – For the first time in her career, Lilia Vu has reached No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as of the latest Rankings update. She becomes the 17th different player to reach No. 1 as well as the fourth American since the inception of the Rolex Rankings in 2006, joining Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis and Nelly Korda, who has held the top spot since July 31, 2023. With Vu taking the top spot, Korda moves to No. 2, marking the first time in the history of the Rolex Rankings that the top-two ranks are from the United States.

Vu moves from No. 6 to No. 1 on the Rolex Rankings immediately following her win at the AIG Women’s Open, her second major championship victory and third LPGA Tour win of the 2023 season. She became the first American to win two major championships in a single season since Juli Inkster did so in 1999, and clinched the 2023 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, the second American to win the award following Michelle Wie West in 2014.

“Being the best in the world, that’s just crazy to me,” said Vu following her win in Surrey, England at Walton Heath. “Just thinking about the struggle I had this year and just to come out with that has been — it’s just incredible.”

Vu has earned three LPGA Tour victories in 2023, tied with Celine Boutier for the most wins so far this season. She became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Honda LPGA Thailand and soon after earned the first major title of her career at The Chevron Championship. She added her second major-title at the AIG Women’s Open on Sunday, becoming 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 (Se Ri Pak, 1998 and Meg Mallon, 1991).

Along with her three wins, Vu has earned one additional top-10 finish this season at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain (T10). She was also a member of the third-place U.S. Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in May at TPC Harding Park and will make her debut appearance for the U.S. Solheim Cup Team in September. She mathematically clinched her spot via U.S. Solheim Cup Team points following the U.S. Women’s Open in July.

The 25-year-old currently leads the LPGA Tour in the Rolex Player of the Year standings (154 points) and is second on the 2023 Official Money List ($2,519,386) and the Race to the CME Globe (2,068.618 points).

A 2019 LPGA Tour rookie, Vu regained full Membership for the 2022 season through the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card in 2021 after winning three times and earning Player of the Year honors. Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, Vu played collegiate golf at UCLA, where she was awarded the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year in 2016 and was the WGCA Player of the Year, Pac-12 Conference Golf of the Year and Honda Award finalist in 2018. She was also a three-time First-Time All-American and won eight individual titles as a Bruin. As an amateur, Vu represented the United States at the 2018 Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and Espirito Santo Trophy, and held the number one spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a total of 31 weeks in 2018 and 2019 before turning professional.

History of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings Number One Position:

Career Weeks at No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings:

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