Allisen Corpuz took a bit longer than her playing partners to report to the scoring area after tapping in her final putt of the week.
The Punahou graduate inched her way along the rope line leading from Hoakalei Country Club’s 18th green to the clubhouse, signing autographs for some young fans following her final round in the LPGA Lotte Championship.
“It’s just so cool to be able to kind of give back and take a couple pictures and just really having everyone supporting me out here this week,” Corpuz said after finally hustling up the stairs to sign her scorecard.
It didn’t seem like all that long ago when Corpuz was a promising junior golfer on the other side of the ropes trying to get a bit of attention from the pros in the LPGA Tour’s Oahu visits.
On Saturday, the 24-year-old finished off her first appearance in her home event, perhaps providing a spark in the aspirations of the youths hanging out around the closing hole.
“It means so much,” Corpuz said of the shift in roles. “It really is special to have parents tell me I’m an inspiration for their kid. It feels great to be a role model for them.”
Corpuz had friends and family also waiting for her after signing for her round of 1-over-par 73 to finish the week at 1 under and tie for 18th in the third start of her rookie season on tour.
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The group of eight at 1 under for the tournament included defending champion and world No. 3 Lydia Ko and Jennifer Kupcho, who won the season’s first major at The Chevron Championship two weeks ago.
Corpuz played with a major champion in Hannah Green in the third round on Friday and was grouped with another on Saturday in Pernilla Lindberg, with tour veteran Chella Choi rounding out the group.
“I’ve had a couple really great opportunities to play with players that I’ve seen on TV. Pernilla and Chella both today were so sweet,” Corpuz said. “It’s just so awesome to get to talk to them and get to see how their games are.”
Corpuz earned her tour card in December by finishing in a tie for 16th at the Q-Series and made the cut in her season debut at the LPGA Drive on Championship at Crown Colony. She tied for 30th at 7 under over 54 holes and pocketed $10,574 for her first tour paycheck.
She managed the winds whipping through Ewa Beach to find 12 of 14 fairways on Saturday and ranked 13th in the field at 48 of 56 for the week while earning $21,874 for her week back home.
“I think I hit the ball really well, especially with how windy it was,” Corpuz said. “Just really being able to trust my lines and maybe start it 20 yards right and just have the wind pull it back. Really proud of myself for doing that.
“I think being comfortable in the wind is definitely an advantage, and just feeling like I’m at home this week.”
Corpuz began the day at 2 under and rose into the top 10 with two early birdies. The momentum stalled with consecutive bogeys going into the turn and she held her ground by rolling in 5-foot putts for par on No. 12 and 13.
“I think it’s always really important to make those slightly longer par putts just to kind of keep the momentum going and just trying not to make big numbers out there,” she said.
The wind knocked her approach on No. 14 into a bunker, leading to a bogey, and she got the shot back by draining a 10-foot putt for birdie on No. 16. Her 16 birdies for the week left her tied for fifth in the field.
After the closing par at No 18, Corpuz left the course looking forward to another night of her mother’s cooking before heading to Southern California for this week’s LA Open with a sense that, “I think that I belong out here.”
“As long as I’m playing well I can definitely contend and finish well,” she said. “I think that’ll give me a lot of confidence throughout the season.”
