Corpuz, Galdiano back home where they dominated high school

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Allisen Corpuz from Kapolei drove off the first tee while Mariel Galdiano, above, from Pearl City, drove off the eighth tee during the first round of the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei on Wednesday. Both golfers, who remained close while playing at Pac-12 schools, helped Punahou dominate high school golf.

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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM

Allisen Corpuz from Kapolei drove off the first tee while Mariel Galdiano, above, from Pearl City, drove off the eighth tee during the first round of the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei on Wednesday. Both golfers, who remained close while playing at Pac-12 schools, helped Punahou dominate high school golf.

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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM

Allisen Corpuz, above, from Kapolei drove off the first tee while Mariel Galdiano, from Pearl City, drove off the eighth tee during the first round of the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei on Wednesday. Both golfers, who remained close while playing at Pac-12 schools, helped Punahou dominate high school golf.

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Allisen Corpuz and Mariel Galdiano will always be linked from their dual domination of Hawaii prep golf while at Punahou School.

Both are back home playing in this week’s LPGA Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club with Corpuz looking to build on her success and Galdiano in search of a breakthrough.

Corpuz is tied for 21st after shooting a 1-under-par 71 in Wednesday’s blustery first round, while fellow 2016 Punahou graduate Galdiano is tied for 111th after carding a 76.

Corpuz, who started early on the back 9, birdied Nos. 1, 5, 7 and 12, and bogeyed Nos. 8, 14, 15.

“It’s been playing tough, especially with the wind up,” Corpuz said of Hoakalei. “Just trying to stay patient, and luckily got some putts going in on the back 9. Par is always a good score out here.”

Galdiano, who started in the afternoon, bogeyed Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 8, then parred the last 10 holes. She ended her round in partial darkness.

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“I just try to play one hole at a time, one shot at a time,” said Galdiano, who is playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption. “A few rounds are always a little long and the wind held up a lot, so I just tried to give myself the best opportunities out there.”

The top 65 and ties after today’s second round will play on the weekend.

Corpuz and Galdiano played together as youths, dominated while at Punahou, then competed at rival Pac-12 schools.

“We go way back from like playing junior golf since we were like 7, 8 years old, so really awesome, and hope that she also has a really good week,” Corpuz said.

Galdiano won three consecutive girls state championships from 2013-2015 and finished runner-up to Corpuz as a senior.

Corpuz also finished third in 2013 and runner-up in 2015.

They remained close when Corpuz competed for USC and Galdiano attended UCLA.

“We would take turns driving across L.A. traffic to get like Korean food or something,” Galdiano said.

The only time the pair played in the same LPGA tournament was last year’s U.S. Open in Southern Pines, N.C. Corpuz tied for 24th at 4 over and Galdiano missed the cut.

“We send each other messages and say ‘hi’ when we can,” Galdiano said. “You see people you know, it’s good to connect and know we’re in this together.”

Corpuz, who is in her second year on the LPGA Tour, had a career-best runner-up finish at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Antrim, Northern Ireland in August.

In March, the 25-year-old finished tied for third at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

Corpuz finished tied for 18th at 1-under in last year’s Lotte.

Galdiano, 24, is in her first full year on the Epson Tour, and has also competed on mini tours. She failed to make the cut in her previous five LPGA tournaments.

“Yeah, I think so,” Galdiano said when asked if she’s close to earning an LPGA Tour card. “I’ve had some good success, but then also I tumbled a little bit in a few tournaments in Arizona. Even though those rounds bring me down, there is always so much more golf out there.”

Both had nice followings Wednesday.

“I live 15 minutes from the course, and then had a few friends out as well,” Corpuz said.

Galdiano said: “I had my aunt in the blue (shirt), my cousin and some friends from Navy Marine Golf Course came out as well, and my dad was on the bag.”