Vivian Lu did not take long to make up her mind.

The junior golfer was coming off two great seasons at the University of Washington when the coach who recruited her, Mary Lou Mulflur, announced that she was retiring. After the news broke, Lu decided she wanted a change of scenery. 

The All-Big Ten First Team member had many suitors, but an obvious choice emerged. 

“I was deciding between USC and Texas, and so I came on my official visit (to Austin), and everything here was so amazing, the facilities, the coaches, the girls on the team,” Lu said. “I didn’t even take my visit to USC, I just made a decision.”

Head women’s golf coach Laura Ianello felt similarly. After senior Bohyun Park graduated, Ianello quickly landed on Lu as the player to replace her in the lineup.

“When she came (into) the portal last May, we had a spot open so I was definitely interested and reached out,” Ianello said. “What I loved about Vivian is that she’s won on the collegiate level three times, so I know she’s a winner.”

At Washington, Lu finished first amongst her teammates in all competitions in which she played a full three rounds during her sophomore campaign, including an individual and team win at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational.

Lu has only had one chance to display her winning ways on the green this season, finishing in 24th place individually at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, but she has still impacted her team off of it.

“When you add another strong player, that elevates the entire group,” Ianello said. “I think everybody just knows they have to be working really, really hard and fighting for a spot in the travel party.”

That relationship is symbiotic, pushing Lu to do her best. At Washington, she felt like she was growing complacent and not pushing herself. In Austin, she competes against three girls who ranked in the top 40 last season every practice.

Lu’s effects go beyond just iron sharpening iron. While creating a competitive atmosphere is key, it is important to make sure that everyone remains in high spirits as well, and Lu does just that.

“Vivian is very smart, very mature, but she’s also a little bit of the life of the party, very similar to Farah O’Keefe, who’s on our team,” Ianello said. “Both are very outgoing, friendly, kind and high-energy people, which puts our team environment always in a good vibes type of situation, which is what I always try to want.”

It did not take long for Vivian Lu to choose Texas, but it may have taken even less time for Texas to choose her. Ianello wears her recruitment of Lu as a badge of honor.

“We’re really, really lucky that she chose us because she had lots of opportunities,” said Ianello. “I think anytime you have a player who’s (from) the West, they typically are going to want to stay on the West, and so the fact that we got (Lu) to leave … speaks volumes to how great our team is and the women on our team.”

Vivian Lu and Texas continue their season on Oct. 17 at the Stanford Intercollegiate Tournament in Palo Alto, California.