THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to the interview area. We're here with our defending champion Allisen Corpuz. Your first time defending at a major like this. What do you look back at, now at about 11 months? What does that week mean to you?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: It's so special. I think I've said it a bunch, but just being able to share the win with everyone, and kind of had a trophy tour, bring it home, bring it to the clubs I practice at, that was really special.
Being out at Lancaster, it's so beautiful out here, and I'm really looking forward to the week.
THE MODERATOR: I know you were here a few weeks ago and got to see the golf course; you saw it again today. Your impressions of it, and is it playing any differently this week?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I was here about a month ago. Greens were pretty slow. They were protecting them. It had just rained, so it was really soft. Still playing decently long and the rough is very healthy. But it's in great shape and I think it's going to be a great championship test.
Q. How different is it for you, if at all, coming in as a reigning champion in this tournament as opposed to chasing the trophy?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I think there's a lot of confidence, just knowing I've done it once. So in theory, it should be easier to do it a second time. I think just the attention definitely feels like there's a little bit more obligations.
I mean, I'm definitely grateful for it. I think it's great. I love just signing autographs for young kids and stuff. I think that's awesome. But at the same time, it is new.
Q. I know we talked about it after, but what a win to wait for. When you look back at that moment, how long you had to wait, how hard you had to fight, does it now make it a little bit more special that that was your first LPGA Tour victory?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Definitely. I think a lot of players say it and definitely echo that. The U.S. Open, because you're an amateur and you can qualify, this is like our first professional event that we play usually.
For my first win to then be at Pebble and be the U.S. Women's Open was really special.
Q. I know you talked about the fans, the recognition, but how has your life changed as a major champion and LPGA Tour winner?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, a lot. A lot more than I expected. All in good ways. It feels like I have a little more of a platform and just -- I mean, the opportunities and the people that I've met, like I know for sure there's a lot of things that wouldn't have happened if I didn't win.
Just trying to take it day by day and be grateful for that.
Q. I know still working through some things on the golf course, but how is your game trending, and how are you feeling coming into your first ever title defense?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Feeling really good about it. I've been hitting the ball really well, just haven't really had the putter going. Been working on that. Yeah, looking forward to it, and whatever happens happens.
Q. If you can just speak to the news from Lexi today, the announcement of her retirement. Then she also sort of hinted at the loneliness and the challenge of being out here week after week. If you could just speak to that yourself.
ALLISEN CORPUZ: First I just wanted to say she's had such a great career. I looked up to her, and I'm not that much younger than her, but I watched her play in multiple U.S. Opens, watched her win a bunch.
She's just such an inspirational player both on and off the course. She's at pretty much every Pro-Am party, always up to do everything. Just to see how she's impacted the Tour is really special, and I just wish her all the best.
I'm definitely lucky that my mom travels with me full-time. You're on the road for 20, 25 to 30 weeks out of the year, and it definitely does get challenging at times. The Tour does feel like it's a big family. Really grateful to be out here.
Q. Just talking about the setup this week, what about a U.S. Open setup is different from every other week on Tour?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I think, first and foremost, one, the rough is much thicker, and two, just the distance with it being a par 70 especially, just two par-5s. I think the card has it as 6,500.
A few more longer irons and a few woods actually for me on a few of the par 4s. That's definitely the main thing. And just the greens are really undulated. So just a lot of break on the longer putts.
Q. Is there any specific shot that you need to be able to hit to do well here?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I would say that the U.S. Open is really just about managing your game. Like best case scenario, you have all the shots, but there's always a way to make it work.
Q. You touched on it a little bit, but being a defending champion for the first time, when you kind of came onto this property a few weeks ago to do the media day as defending champion, what were those feelings like? Are there any nerves as you walk around and maybe see your face in places like posters and such?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, absolutely. As soon as I walked on property a month ago, Julie puts up a huge poster of me outside the clubhouse entrance.
Yeah, it's been awesome. Nerves but definitely excitement as well. It's awesome. I think the USGA, LPGA families are both great.
Q. I think it's tradition the champion always brings the trophy back. What was it like for you to give that back?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Honestly it feels like I didn't have it much. I think it maybe spent 14 nights at my house. I just kind of left it at -- just kind of made its tour without me.
No, it was really special. I hope I get it for another year at some point, but even if I don't, like that year was great.
Q. Allisen, with how well Nelly has been playing, do you go into tournaments thinking, I have to be better than her, or is it more your state of the game and how you attack the course?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Right now I think Nelly is just in a league of her own. No, I've always kind of approached it as going to a course and trying to see the best that I can do. I mean, you don't win every week. You just go out and take it shot by shot and try your best.
Q. You speak to Lexi's contributions to the game. As a player that is trying to continue to carry that mantel of women's golf forward, how important is it to follow the example set by her and set by even our Founders and our Pioneers and things like that as you work through your career and continue on?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I think the reason why I'm here is because of, like you said, all the women before me and really just making their best effort to put their best foot forward.
I think it's really important just to keep growing the game and keep growing the women's side especially, just keep bringing more attention to how good we are.
Even outside of the golf, I think it's just great to know all the stories and know how great everyone is as a person.
Q. Would you be able to give us a little bit of strategy of how you're going to play hole 15?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: That's the uphill par-4? I don't personally hit it that far, so I'll just be hitting a driver at that center bunker off the tee, and like a 6-iron hybrid to the green.
Try to keep it below the hole. That's a pretty tricky green. Yeah, nothing too special.
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