Corpuz beats Galdiano, denies her 4-peat

LIHUE, Kauai >> Tuesday started out as the final day of the David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA Girls State High School Golf Championship.

By the end of a breezy day at Wailua Municipal, it had transformed into a Pac-12 preview and Punahou’s ninth title in 10 years. More compelling, it was also a breathtaking look at just how much the games of Allisen Corpuz and Mariel Galdiano have grown since they met each other on a golf course at the age of 7.

Corpuz, who will play for USC in the fall, slammed in a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth playoff hole to snag her first state title. In the process, the Buffanblu senior stopped Galdiano, her teammate and a future UCLA Bruin, from becoming the first ever to win four state high school championships.

Galdiano and Anna Umemura remain the only golfers with three Hawaii high school golf championships. In 50 years, no one has won more than two boys titles. That tournament tees off today at Wailua.

Corpuz had two putts to win it earlier. She missed from inside 10 feet on the final hole of regulation — as a squall blew through the course — and from nearly the same spot at No. 16 on the first playoff hole.

“I had that putt during the round too, so it was my third chance at it,” she said. “I thought, ‘Just hit a good stroke. You’ve seen this line before, and hopefully it will go in.’ I wanted it to end, too.”

Corpuz was the only player to break par Monday and took a two-shot lead over Galdiano into the final day. After 10 holes Tuesday, Galdiano was two shots ahead and no one else was within five.

Corpuz birdied Nos. 11 and 13 to tie it and briefly took the lead when Galdiano bogeyed the 15th. Then the three-time champ nearly aced the par-3 17th, tapping in from a foot to tie it again.

She had a chance to win it at 17 on the second playoff hole, hitting her tee shot right at the flag, but missed from 6 feet. She had another chance on the next playoff hole, but one of the state’s finest putters missed again from inside 10 feet.

“I could have shot like 63,” Galdiano said, searching for answers after her long, pressure-filled final season was over. “Honestly, I was sticking everything. I don’t know, I’ve been working on putting with Coach Ed (Kageyama) and it seemed to work, but … I don’t know how to describe it. It was just a weird feel.

“That was crazy on the 17th in regulation. I stuck the pin with a 5-iron on that treacherous hole. It was the same thing at 18 (in the playoff). That one should have been the one.”

But this year it was Corpuz’s turn. After two years of chasing her teammate and a sophomore season filled with injuries, the golf gods finally smiled on her during her final high school event.

The first person she wanted to thank was Galdiano, who she believes helped her win three US Kids national championships, become a three-time American Junior Golf Association All-American and qualify for the Lotte LPGA Championship last month.

“We are friends, of course,” Corpuz said. “Really, having someone to push me to get better … I feel like it’s been happening since we were 7. It’s great having someone to compete with. She has really helped my game.”

The feeling is mutual.

“The best part about having Allisen as a teammate is that there’s nothing cold,” said Galdiano, another three-time AJGA All-American who was the second-low amateur at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open and will play on the U.S. Curtis Cup team next month. “When we were in the playoff we’re distant, but we can shake out of it easily. It’s not like other players where you don’t like each other. We push each other every tournament we play. It’s been crazy good.”

Not as if it is ending. Both will soon be on golf scholarships at schools currently ranked 1-2 by Golfweek magazine, and 14 miles apart.

Galdiano was the only player to break par Tuesday — her 2-under-par 70 was three shots higher than her season average — and she and Corpuz finished at 2-under 142.

Mid-Pacific senior Erica Chiang (75—148) was third, followed by Kaiser’s Malia Nam (73—149). Maui High’s Jasmine Cabajar (72) and Maryknoll’s Allysha-Mae Mateo (77) shared fifth at 151.

Senior Aiko Leong and sophomore Claire Choy earned a share of 15th to give Punahou four medalists. Leong will play for BYU in the fall.

The Buffanblu won their fourth straight championship by 30 shots over ‘Iolani (470). Mid-Pacific, Maui and Kaiser tied for third at 473.

Next year, with most of Punahou’s team playing for ranked collegiate teams, “Coach Ed” will have a different challenge.

“It’s been challenging for me to teach the seniors new things and how to look at things differently,” Kageyama said. “They’ve done so much. It was a challenge to keep it interesting, keep them wanting to learn.”

He is grateful it was never a challenge to teach them how to be part of a team.

“They have been very easy to coach,” Kageyama said. “Good leaders and good teammates, especially to the younger ones.”