Late Friday afternoon, Hawaii’s greatest female golf ambassador, Michelle Wie West, exited the U.S. Women’s Open stage at Pebble Beach Golf Links with an emotional farewell. Two days later, a new star from the 50th state took a familiar stroll down the iconic par-5 18th hole.
But this time, the cheers were for the latest winner of this storied championship, Allisen Corpuz.
Corpuz, 25, joined her fellow Hawaiian as a U.S. Women’s Open champion, shooting a final-round, three-under-par 69 to finish nine-under and claim the 78th edition by three strokes over Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68).
Bailey Tardy (73), the surprise 36-hole leader who came into this championship No.455 in the world ranking, and 54-hole leader Nasa Hataoka (76), who shot a third-round 66, shared fourth at three-under-par.
Ayaka Furue and 2014 Amundi Evian champion Hyo Joo Kim tied for sixth at two-under, while Hae Ryan Ryu was two more strokes back at even-par. Newly minted professional Rose Zhang shot a final-round 72 to share ninth and defending champion Minjee Lee tied for 13th with fellow Aussies Hannah Green and Grace Kim.
Corpuz, a graduate of the University of Southern California, became the first American since Brittany Lang in 2016 to hoist the Harton S. Semple Trophy and only the seventh in the last 23 years.
Corpuz also joined a long list of players to make the U.S. Women’s Open their first win on the LPGA Tour, a group that includes World Golf Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies.
“My mind is racing,” Corpuz said. “Like I said yesterday, this is really a dream come true. It was something I had dreamed of, but at the same time kind of just never really expected it to happen.”
Composed and comfortable in the cauldron that is a final round of a major championship, Corpuz was simply stellar on the greens, registering 10 one-putts, including a clutch 16-footer for par on the par-3 12th.
She played the final 11 holes on what is Pebble’s most difficult stretch in one-under. That included birdies on Nos.10, 14 and 15 without any putts longer than 10 feet. She also was the only player in the field to post all four rounds under par.
All of this occurred as Hull, made a Sunday charge reminiscent of what Meg Mallon produced 19 years ago when she shot a 65 to beat Sorenstam and claim her second U.S. Women’s Open title.
"This is really a dream come true. It was something I had dreamed of, but at the same time kind of just never really expected it to happen.” – Allisen Corpuz.
Hull matched the week’s best round with six birdies and an eagle offset by two bogeys. Starting the day seven strokes back, Hull came out sizzling with an eagle on No.2 and birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes. She later holed a 30-footer on No.16 that sent a roar throughout Pebble Beach.
That early statement sent a message to Corpuz and Hataoka in the day’s final pairing.
Corpuz was more than up to the task with birdies on Nos.1 and 3. A player who will always be intertwined with Wie West – she surpassed her as the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links history – had been close in year’s two previous major championships.
She shared the 54-hole lead at the Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, only to finish tied for fourth with a final round 74. Two weeks ago, she carded a 69 on Sunday to tie for 15th in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.
On Sunday at Pebble Beach, she finished the job to become the 20th first-time major champion in the last 21 contested.
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