Two days after golf bid adieu to Hawaii’s favourite daughter Michelle Wie West, the game was introduced to the next generation Hawaiian star, Allisen Corpuz, who today won the first US Women’s Open played on the historic Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Corpuz, 25, a University of Southern California graduate and twice an All-American, began the final round trailing by one shot and wrested control of her national championship on the final nine, beginning with a birdie at the 10th hole. She added birdies at 14 and 15 en route to a score of three-under par 69 and a three-stroke victory.
“Unreal. This week has just felt like a dream come true,” Corpuz said. “It’s been awesome to be out at Pebble this week. Every few holes I kind of looked out and said, ‘I’m out here at Pebble Beach. There’s not many places better than this.’ I just tried to keep grounded and playing my game.”
It was her first victory as a professional and came on one of golf’s grandest stages, earning her a payday of $US2 million, the largest in women’s golf. To say it was an upset is only marginally an understatement. She came into the US Women’s Open 29th in the Rolex Rankings, and in two previous LPGA major championships this year, she finished tied for fourth in the Chevron Championship and tied for 15th in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship a fortnight ago.
She completed 72 holes in nine-under par 279 with rounds of 69, 70, 71 and 69. England’s Charley Hull had the round of the day, a six-under par 66 that enabled her to climb to a tie for second with Korean Jiyai Shin.
On Friday, Wie West, who won the 2014 USWomen’s Open at Pinehurst, played what she said was her final competitive round and missed the cut. Corpuz did not arrive with the same fanfare as Wie West, but she was among those Hawaiian junior golfers to draw inspiration from her.
“I think she was just old enough where I never really interacted with her too much,” Corpuz said on Saturday. “But she’s done so much to put Hawaii golf on the map, women’s golf. Yeah, I have always been inspired by her. Definitely grew up watching her kill it out here, and it’s awesome to see her transition into the next phase of her life.”
Three Australians finished tied for 13th, including defending champion Minjee Lee, who closed with a 75. Hannah Green (69) and Grace Kim (71) also finished four-over for the championship. The only other Aussie to make the cut, Gabi Ruffels, ended her week with a 77 to finish equal 33rd at eight-over.
