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SCREEN CAPTURE US Open champ Allisen Corpuz is congratulated by her parents, Marcos and May. |
Allisen Corpuz smoothly parred the famous 18th hole of the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links to secure a three-shot victory and a $2-million check last weekend.
“I started [golf] when I was four, or five years old. My parents actually live on Kapolei golf course — on the left side… So yeah, my dad has always been a really big golf fan and just got us into it really young,” she said.
At age 6, the young Allisen told her father, “If you want me to play golf, don’t scold me.”
Her parents, Marcos, a dentist, and May were not overbearing, but even at such a young age, Corpuz knew that she was intrinsically motivated to get better. No one needed to push her.
In 2008, at the tender age of 10-years old, she made headlines by becoming the youngest qualifier in US Women’s Amateur Public Links history, a record previously held by Wie West.
The 25-year-old graduated from USC, where she mastered in Global Supply Chain Management and earned a graduate certificate in Business Analytics.
In only her second year on the LPGA tour, Corpuz entered the tournament last week 29th in the world but largely overlooked. She ended the week with a congratulatory tweet from former President Obama.
“Congratulations to fellow Hawaiian Allisen Corpuz for winning the U.S. Women’s Open!” tweeted Obama. “You make us all proud – and look forward to a round at Kapolei!”
“Yeah, Barack and Michelle are the two Punahou alum that I get talked to about the most,” said Corpuz.
A packed grandstand broke out in chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as Corpuz became the first American to win the US Women’s Open since 2016, the first woman to win at Pebble Beach, and certainly, the first golfer from Hawaii of Korean and Filipino descent to hoist the Women's Open trophy over her head.
When asked by the post tourney press conference July 9, she was asked what made her fall in love with the game at such a young age, Corpuz gave an amusingly honest answer: “Honestly, I sucked. I just wanted to get better. I think that’s just kind of who I am, like as a person. Just if something can be done better, that’s how I want to do it.”
In 2008, Corpuz surpassed Michelle Wie West as the youngest to ever qualify for the US Women’s Amateur Public Links at 10 years, 3 months and 9 days. Comparisons naturally followed.
Corpuz started her golf career when she was attending Punahou School, the same high school where fellow pro-golfer Michelle Wie West and Barack Obama studied.
When asked by the post tourney press conference July 9, she was asked what made her fall in love with the game at such a young age, Corpuz gave an amusingly honest answer: “Honestly, I sucked. I just wanted to get better. I think that’s just kind of who I am, like as a person. Just if something can be done better, that’s how I want to do it.”
In 2008, Corpuz surpassed Michelle Wie West as the youngest to ever qualify for the US Women’s Amateur Public Links at 10 years, 3 months and 9 days. Comparisons naturally followed.
Corpuz started her golf career when she was attending Punahou School, the same high school where fellow pro-golfer Michelle Wie West and Barack Obama studied.
It was fitting that at the same tourney that Wie West announced her retirement, Corpuz's profile rose to the top of women's golf.
“I’ve never really compared myself to her,” said Corpuz of Wie West. “I’ve always wanted to make my own name. “She’s just served as a really big inspiration.”
Corpuz, who won the Open by three shots over Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68), credited her Filipino father, Marcos, for introducing her to the sport she’s come to love.
“I’ve never really compared myself to her,” said Corpuz of Wie West. “I’ve always wanted to make my own name. “She’s just served as a really big inspiration.”
Corpuz, who won the Open by three shots over Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68), credited her Filipino father, Marcos, for introducing her to the sport she’s come to love.
“I started [golf] when I was four, or five years old. My parents actually live on Kapolei golf course — on the left side… So yeah, my dad has always been a really big golf fan and just got us into it really young,” she said.
At age 6, the young Allisen told her father, “If you want me to play golf, don’t scold me.”
Her parents, Marcos, a dentist, and May were not overbearing, but even at such a young age, Corpuz knew that she was intrinsically motivated to get better. No one needed to push her.
In 2008, at the tender age of 10-years old, she made headlines by becoming the youngest qualifier in US Women’s Amateur Public Links history, a record previously held by Wie West.
She attended Punahou School, the same high school where Wie West and former President Barack Obama studied. At 12, she realized that she might be able to make a living playing golf.
The 25-year-old graduated from USC, where she mastered in Global Supply Chain Management and earned a graduate certificate in Business Analytics.
In only her second year on the LPGA tour, Corpuz entered the tournament last week 29th in the world but largely overlooked. She ended the week with a congratulatory tweet from former President Obama.
“Congratulations to fellow Hawaiian Allisen Corpuz for winning the U.S. Women’s Open!” tweeted Obama. “You make us all proud – and look forward to a round at Kapolei!”
“Yeah, Barack and Michelle are the two Punahou alum that I get talked to about the most,” said Corpuz.
In an understatement, she said: “I mean, he’s done a lot in his career. Yeah, that’s really special.”
Now they get to talk about Allisen.
Now they get to talk about Allisen.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @eduardodiok on Threads.net, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.
