‘Instant tears’ – Major champion reacts to teammate’s shock retirement

Lilia Vu was preparing to wave goodbye to one of her Solheim Cup teammates at the end of the season – but not two of them. 

The LPGA fraternity had long come to terms with the fact that superstar Lexi Thompson would be walking away from the professional game in 2024. 

It was one of the reasons victory over Europe in Thompson’s final Solheim Cup tasted extra sweet for the Americans at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.

Yet nobody – and not least Vu – knew that another one of her teammates was about to call it quits.

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On Wednesday, Ally Ewing announced she too would be stepping away from the limelight.

“It is with a heavy but grateful heart that I want to announce that I will be retiring from professional golf at the end of this year,” the 31-year-old said in a poignant retirement message.

“Instant tears. I mean, I wasn’t expecting it,” Vu said when asked how she reacted to the news.

“I saw it on social media this morning. Obviously not trying to make it about me, but I just got so emotional. Then I hugged her today and was just bawling my eyes out. It’s something you wouldn’t expect.”

“She’s had such a great year, and I would love to spend more years out here with her. I’m very proud of her. She’s like the best person to be around.”

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Ewing ends her career with three LPGA Tour wins, four Solheim Cup appearances and just over $6million in prize money. She said that “every decision I have made since I was young has always been deliberated with how it would impact golf”, and now wants to spend more time with her family.

Vu, meanwhile, is still riding the wave of the Solheim Cup win. The two-time major champion’s winning put secured the vital half-point Stacy Lewis’ side needed in the Sunday singles to win the trophy back for the first time since 2017.

“It was just surreal. I didn’t think that it would come down to me for some reason; I didn’t want it to. I think it’s just like a lot of pressure,” she said ahead of this week’s $3million NW Arkansas Championship.

“It was just the best possible outcome. I know I wasn’t playing my best golf but was happy to pull my weight a little bit and halve that match.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.