(Grand Rapids) Lilia Vu returned from a back injury to win the Meijer LPGA Tour Classic in overtime on Sunday.
Playing in her first tournament since the Ford Championship in March, Vu got the better of Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim when she birdied the third overtime hole.
Vu deprived Thompson of his first victory in five years. Kim was the tournament leader after the third round on the Blythefield Golf Club course.
Thompson, who triumphed at this event in 2015, indicated that this would be her last year of full-time play on the LPGA Tour. She signed the last of her 11 titles in June 2019, at the ShopRite Classic.
Vu birdied the regulation 18th hole, shooting a 65 to tie Thompson and Kim, who entered the day five shots ahead of Thompson and eight ahead of Vu.
On the deciding hole, Vu hit her second shot into the bunker to the right of the green and then put herself in position for birdie. Thompson and Kim missed long birdie attempts after hitting their approaches.
Vu birdied four of his last six regulation holes to have a cumulative score of minus-16.
A former world number one and two-time major champion in 2023, Vu collected a fifth career LPGA title. His eight-hole comeback is the most impressive of the season.
Thompson shot a 68 while Kim shot a 73. The 23-year-old Australian won in overtime in Hawaii to secure her only career title.
Ally Ewing (69) took fourth place. Allisen Corpuz (70) and Narin An (70) rounded out the top five.
Canadian Brooke M. Henderson finished the final round with a 72, which moved her into a tie for 34th place. Her compatriot Alena Sharp (76) finished 80th.
The PGA Women’s Championship, one of the five major tournaments on the women’s tour, will begin Thursday at Sahalee, near Seattle.
