Allisen Corpuz Wins U.S. Women's Open

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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.

Corpuz joined Wie West as the only major champions from Hawaii.

"She's been a huge role model, but I've never really compared myself to her," Corpuz said. "Like I said, I never really thought I'd get this far."

Sunday, however, was proof that Corpuz's journey deserved a fitting result, that all the work she'd put in was coalescing into a historic moment for her, even if she never expected it.

Much like her even-keeled demeanor that never wavered all week, Corpuz's game was sound throughout. Rarely did she ever stray from the fairways -- she hit 43 of 56 for the week -- and paired that with 2.77 strokes gained on approaches, second best in the field.

As Corpuz stepped up to the final hole on Sunday, the result no longer in question, her steady composure and pace remained. But after she hit her last fairway of the week with another accurate drive, she began walking down the 18th fairway toward the rousing cheers and trophy that awaited her and allowed herself to smile. It was finally time to enjoy the moment.

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