Lilia Vu made her Major breakthrough when she captured the Chevron Championship in 2023. She shot a closing 68 to move from 11th to beat Angel Yin in a playoff – Yin would find water but still make par while Vu made a birdie from 10 feet for her second win on the LPGA Tour.
Vu has had a variety of caddies since joining the LPGA Tour in 2019 and Cole Pensanti was on her bag in Texas. After the playoff win Vu was full of praise for her bag man.
"I felt like it was a really hard day. The course was playing really difficult with the wind and the weather and it being colder. I just didn't feel great on the course. I was getting kind of moody, and my caddie Cole was there to basically ground me and remind me like hey, we're just going to try our best, and whatever happens happens. Just hit it on your line and then go from there and stop getting so upset over every little thing."
This was the first time that the Major hadn't been played at Mission Hills but, despite the move to Club at Carlton Woods, the winner still took the traditional jump into the lake by the 18th green. There was a fear of alligators and other creatures but, after a dredging of the water, Vu and Pensanti made the leap and Pensanti performed a trademark caddie belly flop.
The pair will be in Spain for the Solheim Cup as the United States look to reclaim the trophy.
Pensanti also tasted Major success when he was on Danielle Kang's bag at the Women's PGA Championship in 2017. There the American beat Brooke Henderson by a shot at Olympia Fields.
After the victory she immediately flew back to Glendale in California with Pensanti to visit her dad's grave.
“I went back and I said we did it,” said Kang before Pensanti surprised her by pulling out his (stolen) caddie bib which they laid at the grave along with a Coors Light, Starbucks coffee, her father’s favourite cigarettes and the flag from the 18th green.
The caddie describes himself as an 'Analyst in distance, wind, and trajectory consultation' on his X (Twitter) profile.
