American Allisen Corpuz wins US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach for record payout, 1st LPGA title

Allisen Corpuz was on the biggest and most beautiful stage in women’s golf and made it look like a walk on the beach.

It didn’t matter that she had never won the LPGA Tour or that she had been hearing all week about the historic occasion of the US Women’s Open held at Pebble Beach for the first time. Nothing could make her burst.

“Every few holes I would look out and say, ‘I’m here at Pebble Beach. There aren’t many places better than this,'” Corpuz said.

There wasn’t much better performance either. Corpuz turned a tight duel with NASA Hataoka into a runaway, finishing with a 3-under 69 on Sunday for a three-shot victory to become the first American in 20 years to take the US Women’s Open to her first LPGA title.

On Pebble Beach, no less.

LOOK | Corpuz wins US Women’s Open:

The 25-year-old from Hawaii was calm and composed no matter the shot or the conditions, until reality hit when she took a three-shot lead on the 18th fairway. It’s a path that has been taken over the years by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, all of whom are US Open champions at Pebble Beach.

“Just knowing the history…Tiger just absolutely destroyed this place. Yeah, it’s really special,” Corpuz said. “In 20, 30 years, I think just the fact that it’s a US Open means a lot to me. But knowing it’s on Pebble makes it even more fun.”

$2 million US prize

She won by three shots against Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68) to claim the $2 million prize, the richest ever for an LPGA main champion.

Corpuz couldn’t contain a wide smile as she fell half, only to cover it with her hand as the tears began to flow. She wiped them off with her Aloha-print tower.

Former President Barack Obama was one of the first to congratulate her on Twitter. Both attended Punahou School in Honolulu.

“Unreal,” Corpuz said. “This week felt like a dream come true.”

Hilary Lunke, at Pumpkin Ridge in 2003, was the last American to earn her first win at the US Women’s Open, the one in a three-way Monday playoff.

Corpuz, who finished 9-under 279, was the only player to play par for four days.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished 12th at 3 over as the top Canadian. Top Canadian amateur Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont. tied for 59th at 12 left.

LOOK | Brooke Henderson hole out for dazzling eagle in 3rd round:

Henderson goes out for dazzling eagle at US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach

Brooke Henderson fired her second shot from 116 yards during the third round of US Women’s Open Saturday at Pebble Beach.

Corpuz never gave anyone a big chance. Hataoka lost her one-shot lead on the opening hole when Corpuz hit her approach to five feet for a birdie, and the 24-year-old from Japan dropped too many shots on the home stretch.

They were tied on the turn until Corpuz got her approach to just within 10 feet for a birdie on the 10th. The key moment was on the par-3 12th, when Corpuz fell short in the bunker and had 4.5 yards for par. Hataoka rolled her birdie putt from the rim five feet from the hole. Corpuz made her par, Hataoka missed her putt and the lead was two.

Hull, who started the final round seven shots behind, closed early on the back nine to within two shots and stayed in the game with a 30-yard birdie putt on the 16th. Only later did she realize that Corpuz was driving away. Hull kept firing, hitting 3-wood from under the cypress tree in the middle of the 18th fairway and nearly pulling it off.

“Shy kids don’t get candy,” she told herself on the 18th before yanking away and dropping to one knee to watch his flight.

Shin made a birdie on the 18th and joined Hull in second. The two-time major champion from South Korea never had a serious chance of winning, but she celebrated a big moment for Corpuz and for women’s golf.

“I just watch Pebble Beach on TV and then we’re finally here to play,” Shin said. “This course has a great history, and then finally women’s history is in.”

That history belonged to Corpuz. She joined Michelle Wie West as the only major champions from Hawaii – Wie West won the Women’s Open at No. 2 Pinehurst in 2014 and played her last major at Pebble Beach this week.

They are linked by the Aloha State, their high school (Punahou) and their emphasis on education – Wie West graduated from Stanford, Corpuz earned a business degree and an MBA from USC – and their early start in USGA events. Corpuz broke Wie West’s record as the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links as a 10-year-old.

“I never really thought I’d get this far. Just watching Michelle has been such a huge role model to me, and breaking her record for the Public Links has been really amazing,” said Corpuz . “But I’ve never really compared myself to her. I’ve always wanted to make my own name. She’s just served as a great inspiration.”

On duty behind the fifth green was Mary Bea Porter King, the pioneer of junior golf in Hawaii and one of the most influential figures in the game. Corpuz first entered the Hawaii junior program at the age of seven.

“She’s always calm, cool and … I won’t say serious, but she just plodded on. She was kind of a giant killer,” said Porter King. “I don’t think she was afraid of anything.”

That much was evident at Pebble Beach, which had enough wind to be challenging as ever. Only seven players finished under par.

Hataoka, whose 66 on Saturday was nearly nine shots better than the field, had a 40 on the back nine to take fourth with Bailey Tardy, the 36-hole leader going 75-73 over the weekend for her best finish in her LPGA rookie season.

Rose Zhang, who dominated the amateur scene and went on to win her first LPGA Tour start as a pro, never got on track and finished with a 72 to finish tied for ninth. She now has top 10s in both majors as a pro, though she was never in the mix this time.