The winner of the first U.S. Women’s Open to take place at Pebble Beach Golf Links, a site steeped in iconic moments via all-time greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, would step into a new life instantaneously.

More autographs. More media. More money.

Punahou alumnus Allisen Corpuz won it all, and in the wake of change that followed her first LPGA championship, stayed the same.

Almost a year later, Corpuz, 26, took questions in a press conference — two days before her title defense would begin — as the proverbial calm before the storm. She appeared as unassuming as the world No. 29 who shocked, well, the world, and fended off reported illness in one fell swoop.

“I think there’s a lot of confidence just knowing I’ve done it once, so, in theory, it should be easier to do it a second time,” Corpuz said, tongue in cheek.

Corpuz, $2 million richer from the largest first-place prize for an LPGA major champion, climbed to No. 6 in the Rolex women’s world golf rankings. Only two other players finished with more 2023 earnings than her $3,094,813. Lilia Vu of the U.S. topped the list at $3,502,303, and Amy Yang of South Korea slid into the runner-up spot at $3,165,834.

But the before-and-after difference in how Corpuz was perceived extended beyond the financial rewards she reaped — all in good ways, she said Tuesday.

“A lot more than I expected — all in good ways,” Corpuz said. “It feels like I have a little more of a platform and just, I mean, the opportunities and the people that I’ve met, like I know for sure there’s a lot of things that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t win.”

In a more public purview, Corpuz’s start to 2024 has been slow. She tied for eighth at the HSBC Women’s World Championship en route to her lone top-10 finish in 10 events so far. And her $167,383 have her at No. 59 in earnings.

Naturally, the world No. 21 is not flustered.

She will hit “a driver at that center bunker off the tee and a 6-iron hybrid to the green” on the 15th hole, just the same.

“I hope I get it for another year at some point, but even if I don’t, that year was great,” Corpuz said when asked of the moment she returned her U.S. Women’s Open trophy.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who has won six her last seven competitions, is the heavy favorite to win with 520.22 points and 241.42 more than the second-closest LPGA Tour golfer: Vu, at 278.80.

Corpuz shined a light on such dominance.

Evidently, praise need not come at the expense of her own confidence. The results from today onward will be what they may, and what they were last July put Allisen Corpuz toward the top of the women’s golf radar for the foreseeable future.

“Right now, Nelly is just in a league of her own,” Corpuz said.

“I’ve always just kind of approached it as going to a course and trying to see the best that I can do. And, I mean, you don’t win every week. You just go out and take it shot by shot and try your best.”