Sometimes it’s the quietest players that make the most noise and former University of Southern California Trojan Allisen Corpuz (Honolulu, Hawaii) is a case study in that fact. At the 41st Curtis Cup played at Conwy Golf Club in Wales in August, the 23-year-old went 3-0-0, an undefeated record that helped the United States win the Cup. In college, she carded three wins and 16 top-10 finishes for USC and was a 2020 All-American, posting 16 rounds in the 60s throughout her career. Coming to LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage II, having just turned professional following Stage I, Corpuz continued her muted tear, shooting 70-71-68-69 for a four-day total of 10 under, good enough to finish in a tie for seventh and earn a berth into LPGA Q-Series.
“I think it's just nice to see red numbers. The second round was a little shaky for me, but still managed to scrape out the 1-under,” she said. “It has been a year of learning how to scrape out those rounds that are okay and still manage to shoot something good. I’m trying to carry that forward into the future. Just keep making birdies and staying patient and minimizing the mistakes. Everyone here is good, so it's nice to come out here and kind of see where my game is compared to everyone else's. I think there is always going to be something to work on, no matter how good you are. It's nice to go post some good scores.”
It has becoming increasingly rare for players to complete their college careers in full before turning professional, but for Corpuz, the cancellation of 2020 Q-School due to the COVID-19 pandemic made the decision to stay a simple one. She wouldn’t trade her five years at USC for the world, and it’s the time she spent with teammates practicing and competing to which Corpuz credits her development. Plus, having the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree in Global Supply Chain Management was a bonus, one that she’ll always cherish.
“I think the decision was easy because Q-School was canceled last year, but getting my Master's degree means so much to me, and then I just think five years of getting more tournament prep and playing with other really good girls, practicing with them. Our team has always been really solid. It shows you where you need to work on your game and where you can get better, where your strengths are, as well.”
With Q-Series slated for late November/early December, there’s plenty to look forward to and prepare for, but for now, Corpuz, like most everyone this week, plans on taking a few days off to recharge her batteries and reset her mind, readying herself for the mental grind of two weeks of back-to-back play in Alabama with an LPGA Tour card on the line. And of course, there’s no better way to relax than enjoying a few television shows.
“I think there are a couple of [National Women’s Golf Association] events on the same courses, so I'll probably look into those,” Corpuz said. “Definitely headed back to L.A. tomorrow. Just take some time off and just get some energy back. Really just focusing on Q-Series and seeing how far I can go there. I'm pretty boring. My family just got a Netflix subscription because I've been mooching off my boyfriend. Finally have my own account, so going through everything I've wanted to watch the past two years.”
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