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Lilia Vu was among several golfers who truly put it all together in 2023. Whether it was finally achieving their potential or turning things around significantly last year, there was a lot of breaking outdone on tour. These five golfers played so well and finally emerged as true talents and forces to be reckoned with.
Breakthrough LPGA stars from 2023
4) Lindy Duncan
Lindy Duncan had a lot of promise in college, but it hadn't translated to the professional game yet. She was well out of the qualifying ranks, but came into the CME with one shot at playing well to keep her card.
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Duncan did so well that she earned the 92nd spot and was firmly within the limits. She said that it was "the best" she had ever played, so 2023 was more than good to her.
She added via Golfweek:
"If my career starts now at the age of 28, of course I want to keep going. I still have a lot of goals I want to achieve that 19-year-old Alison, when she turned pro, all the things she wanted to accomplish."
It took some time, but Lindy Duncan has finally arrived on the LPGA Tour.
3) Alison Lee
Alison Lee had a very nice season in 2023, but it was not long ago that she was nearly incapable of even stepping foot on a golf course.
She said via Golfweek:
"Every mile I got closer to the course, the more anxiety overcame my body. I couldn’t breathe, and I could hardly see with all the tears streaming down my face. The feelings became so overwhelming that I began to look at the concrete barrier on the interstate and considered crashing my car into it.... In that moment, anywhere else besides the golf course felt safe."
She stayed alive and kept her membership, which eventually led her to almost capture the elusive first victory. It indicates that the best from Lee is yet to come and 2023 was the moment it clicked.
2) Ruoning Yin
Ruoning Yin missed the cut in seven of her first nine starts as a rookie and she debated quitting the sport entirely. Her mother steered her away from that as she said via Golfweek:
"My mom told me, if you cannot swing just don’t swing. Just do your putting drills, practice putting and chipping – you’ll be fine. No matter what, we still love you."
She did eventually turn it around, and "fine" might not do it justice. She's won a Major and become the World No. 2 golfer as a result of her progress.
1) Lilia Vu
Lilia Vu was excellent in 2023. She began winning so much that she's poised to capture the number one spot on the Rolex World Rankings. She's been dominant, but even she can admit she's a little surprised by all the success.
She said via Australian Golf Digest:
"I didn’t really expect this to happen. I think I just wanted to have a good week going into CME next week and just try to be in contention, and then turned out the way it did."
