Allisen Corpuz ready for U.S. women’s open

That six-hour drive is so worth it now.

With a brief window between the NCAA regionals and national championship tournament in mid-May, Allisen Corpuz loaded up the car for a drive from the USC campus to Northern California and a shot at qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Thirty-six holes later, the Punahou graduate from Kapolei had a spot in the year’s second major and a much longer trip to plan.

Nine days after finishing up her sophomore season with the Trojans in the NCAA semifinals in Stillwater, Okla., Corpuz starts her summer in Shoal Creek, Ala., with her second U.S. Open appearance.

“I definitely feel like my game is a lot better than it was two years ago,” Corpuz said in a phone interview before her practice round on Wednesday. “I think two years ago it was just come out and see what it’s like. This week hopefully we’ll see if I can make the cut. Just knowing what I need for the week — really good ball-striking and just getting the putter going — is what I learned the most.”

Corpuz is among three players from Hawaii and 29 amateurs in the field of 156 hoping the weather allows them to start this morning.

Michelle Wie, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, is scheduled to start at 2:46 a.m. Hawaii time. Corpuz has a 7:20 a.m. tee time and Britney Yada of Hilo starts at 9:32 a.m. in the final group of the day off the 10th tee.

The effects of Tropical Storm Alberto washed out Tuesday’s practice rounds and the players waited until early afternoon on Wednesday before getting a look at the soggy course conditions.

“We were just relaxing at the hotel,” Corpuz said of the delay. “I played 16 holes (on Monday) and then they called it. We walked the last two holes so I’ve had a chance to see it already.”

Corpuz qualified for her first U.S. Open in a sectional at Waialae Country Club and carded rounds of 78 and 76 at CordeValle in the summer after graduating from Punahou and starting her freshman year at USC.

The 2016 state champion posted a 73.69 scoring average in her first year with the Trojans and improved to 73.09 over 32 rounds this season. After tying for seventh at the Pac-12 championships and 11th in the NCAA regional in Madison, Wis., Corpuz made the drive north for the sectional qualifier at Contra Costa Golf Club in Pleasant Hill, Calif., on May 14.

She fired a 3-under-par 69 in her first 18 holes then carded a 71 in the afternoon to tie Lucy Li for medalist honors at 4-under 140.

“I actually played those 36 holes bogey free which was a first for me,” Corpuz said. “So it was nice to see everything come together that week.”

She went on to tie for 27th in stroke play at the NCAA championships to help USC qualify for the match-play portion of the tournament. She finished her first-round match with Duke’s Virginia Elena Carta all square through 20 holes as USC advanced. She then lost to Alabama’s Cheyenne Knight 3 and 1 in the semifinals and the Trojans fell to the top-ranked Crimson Tide to close the season.

Even with two rounds in the U.S. Open tucked away heading into today’s tee time, playing in a major tends to get the nerves rattling. But over the last two years, “I’ve learned how to manage it and I learned what I do under pressure,” Corpuz said. “So I don’t necessarily think I’m less nervous but it’s more I’ll be able to hit better shots this time around.”

Yada qualified at the sectional at Bermuda Run Country Club in Advance, N.C., on May 15. The Waiakea graduate tied for second at 142 then won a three-way playoff for the second and final berth available in the qualifier.

Wie will start the tournament off the 10th tee today in a grouping with Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda.