Allisen Corpuz's first LPGA season 'way more fun' than she expected
Jan. 1—Allisen Corpuz, clipboard in hand, stood by the tee box greeting the kids stepping up for their opening drives.
Corpuz reserved part of her Friday afternoon to serve as host and honorary starter for Friday's junior tournament at Hawaii Prince Golf Club, an origin point for her journey from a promising junior golfer to LPGA Tour pro.
Allisen Corpuz, clipboard in hand, stood by the tee box greeting the kids stepping up for their opening drives.
Corpuz reserved part of her Friday afternoon to serve as host and honorary starter for Friday's junior tournament at Hawaii Prince Golf Club, an origin point for her journey from a promising junior golfer to LPGA Tour pro.
"It starts as a big dream for everyone, " Corpuz said after the final group hit their tee shots to start their round on the Ewa Beach course.
Once a youngster inspired by Michelle Wie and the professionals who would come to town for the Fields Open or Lotte Championship, the 24-year-old Corpuz returned to Hawaii for the holidays following a 2022 season in which she finished fourth in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race. She enters 2023 ranked 48th in the world after posting three top 10s and closed the season in a tie for 17th at the CME Group Tour Championship in November in Florida.
So she now plays the role of representing the possibilities for the juniors hitting the course.
"I always have thought that it's important to give back when you're in position to do so, " said Corpuz, who covered the green fees for the group. "It just means a lot to me to be able to come back, especially at Hawaii Prince, and to meet some of these juniors. (It's ) really awesome to meet all the kids and the parents back where I grew up.
"Everyone from Hawaii has to look up to Michelle. She's just done such a great job coming back to sponsor the HSJGA. I met Morgan Pressel at a very young age and I met her again now that I'm on Tour. That's been a bit of a full circle."
Corpuz grew up near Kapolei Golf Course and enrolled in her first junior program at Hawaii Prince. She won the 2016 high school state championship at Punahou and went on to an All-America career at USC, where she also earned a degree in business administration and a master's in global supply chain management.
She tied for 16th at the LPGA Q-Series in late 2021 to earn LPGA Tour membership for 2022. A run of three top-20 finishes, starting with a T18 at the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei in April, helped her climb the priority list to give her starts for the remainder of the season.
She capitalized on the opportunity in a season highlighted by third-place finishes at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Scotland in August and the Pelican Women's Championship in Florida in November.
"It's just so much more fun than I expected, " she said. "Just being able to pull off shots under pressure. To get into some spots and think, 'I'm not sure if I can do this, ' and you hit a really good shot, that was really special to do. It meant even more to do it under pressure."
Corpuz is taking a break from the clubs during her visit after grinding through her rookie year and will soon return to Los Angeles, where she is based during the season. She's scheduled to open the 2023 season at the Honda LPGA Thailand set for Feb. 23-26 and will continue on to the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore in early March.
"Just trying to have good weeks throughout the year, " Corpuz said of her outlook on 2023. "Just trying to go out there and hit good shots and stay committed to my routines and hopefully being a little more comfortable in general about being on tour."
"It still kind of feels like a dream and definitely way more fun than I could have ever expected."
She is planning to return to Hawaii for the Lotte Championship, again set for Hoakalei, on April 12-15. The tour's stop in the islands had traditionally followed the season's first major, but this year lands on the week prior to the Chevron Championship in Texas. While a long trip prior to a major might make some players think twice about entering, Corpuz wouldn't pass up a chance to play at home.
"It is nice that it's a Saturday finish instead of Sunday, so there's a little bit more time to turn around and get out, " she said.
