Defending champion Lilia Vu withdraws from the Chevron Championship before she tees off

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS – APRIL 17: Lilia Vu of the USA during practice for the The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 17, 2024 in The Woodlands, Texas. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The Chevron Championship’s defending champion didn’t even get to the first tee Thursday. Lilia Vu withdrew from the Chevron ahead of her 1:10 p.m. tee time. The LPGA did not provide a reason. Vu’s agent did not respond to a request for comment.

Today marks the third withdrawal of Vu’s injury-marred 2024 campaign. Vu, 26, suffered from back spasms while in Southeast Asia, exiting the HSBC Women’s World Championship after the third round, and the Blue Bay LPGA after her first 18.

The Southern California native returned at the Fir Hills Se Ri Pak Championship, where she lost her spot as the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings when Nelly Korda won her second consecutive tournament. Vu’s last start on the LPGA was at the Ford Championship three weeks ago, when she also played in all four rounds, including an opening 64, for a T-21 finish.

“The only goal today was to hit the ball solid,” Vu said. “It’s been kind of difficult the past couple weeks just playing through pain and trying to make contact with the golf ball.”

The two-time major champion met with the media Tuesday at Carlton Woods, explaining that she felt close to full strength. Vu had started working out last week and felt fine, with nightly stretching helping her recover. Feeling comfortable exercising instead of just doing physical therapy was a significant improvement from the previous months, when Vu would sometimes cry on the range because her back wouldn’t hold up.

“I definitely feel a lot better than I did at PV and Phoenix,” Vu said. “I would say we’re basically 95 percent there. If I stay healthy this week I think I’ll be able to do what I need to do.”

The early exit ends the first major title defense of her career.