“Grandpa didn’t do all this for you to get upset” -Lilia Vu pays tribute to grandfather after winning LPGA Player of the Year award

Lilia Vu finished T30 at the 2022 CME Group Championship a year ago. With this result, she started 2023 ranked 33rd in the Rolex Rankings and had yet to achieve her first victory at the highest level.

Twelve months later, Lilia Vu's resume is completely different. She is now a two-time Major champion, four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, world number one and 2023 LPGA Player of the Year.

In the midst of this tremendous turn in her LPGA Tour career, Lilia Vu did not forget to pay tribute to her grandfather. Speaking to the press after being named the best player on the circuit, Vu paid tribute to her grandpa.

These were her words, according to The Palm Beach Post:

"I think about him all the time. My nails are koi fish. He raised like 50 koi fish in his backyard when he was alive. I always think about him. He’s always next to me. Even when I get down on myself, I kind of think … okay, grandpa didn’t do all this for you to get upset over one shot."

Lilia Vu's 2023 LPGA Tour season included victories at the Honda LPGA Thailand, The Chevron Championship, AIG Women's Open and The Annika Driven. She also finished in three other Top 10s.

As for the Ladies European Tour, Lilia Vu participated in four events, with three Top 10s as her best results.

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Who was Lilia Vu's grandfather?

Vu was born in California, but her ancestors came from Vietnam. They arrived in the United States after an almost surreal journey that began with the efforts of Dinh Du, Lilia's maternal grandfather.

Lilia Vu's family history dates back to the 1980s, when Vietnam was in the midst of a terrible war. With the idea of giving a better life to his family, Dinh Du decided to find a way to leave the country at any cost.

Dinh Du built a vessel to set sail with his family. Originally, the travel was intended for 54 people, but Dinh Du continued to take on passengers as desperate as he was. The boat finally set sail with 82 people on board.

The fate of Dinh Du, his family and the rest of the passengers was uncertain, but a stroke of luck allowed them to be rescued by an American ship. It was the USS Brewton, which took them to America.

Dinh Du achieved his dream of providing a better life for his family. In America, he finished raising his daughter, Kieu Thuy, mother of Lilia.

Dinh Du passed away in 2020, so he was unable to see the best of his granddaughter's golf career. But even so, he saw the greatness within her. He always advised her to persevere in the sport, despite the not-so-happy moments that characterized her early career as a professional.