PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — In the same week that Honolulu native Michelle Wie West bid goodbye to the women’s game, another Honolulu product, Allisen Corpuz, stepped up at Pebble Beach to win the U.S. Women’s Open — the first ever played at the legendary course — for her first LPGA title.
The 25-year-old Corpuz was the only golfer in the 156-player field to card under-par rounds all four days of the tournament. And on Sunday, she put together a dominant final-round 69 to finish at 9 under — a full 3 shots clear of the field — and claim the $2 million prize, the richest ever for an LPGA major champion.
“My mind is racing,” Corpuz said after raising the trophy. “It was something I had dreamed of, but at the same time kind of just never really expected it to happen.”
Corpuz has come a long way since picking up the sport in Hawaii as a way to spend time with her father and brother on the weekends. There, she fell in love with not just the game, but the idea of improving and hitting the ball farther and farther at her local driving range.
“Honestly, I sucked and I wanted to get better,” Corpuz said. “I think that’s just who I am as a person.”
As she improved, Corpuz went on to break Wie West’s record as the youngest player to qualify for the…
