THE MODERATOR: All right, joining me at the 2025 LOTTE Championship is Allisen Corpuz. Allisen, this is taking place in your backyard pretty much. What does it mean to you to be playing an LPGA event in the area that you grew up?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the week. I mean, this is an event that I grew up attending and watching. Watched Michelle win here at home as well. She's always been such a big role model for me.
And just to grow up watching this event and the players, you know, dreaming of being out here, I'm really excited for the week. It's just always special to come and play at home.
Q. And are you staying with family this week? Do you have a lot of people out here supporting? What about the environment is different from what you get on the road?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, I'm sleeping in my own bed tonight. My parents still have a home out here and still live out here. We have Megan Khang staying with us as well. It's just a really fun week at home and hosting one of my best friends.
Yeah, I'll have a lot of family and friends out on the weekend hopefully to come and support me. It's really special because I don't get a chance for everyone to watch me play golf, so this is kind of my chance to go out there and show them what my game looks like.
Q. You mentioned that you have Megan staying with you. For people that are not from Hawai'i and don't spend a lot of time here, what are some must-see or must-do things while here?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Took her on a North Shore trip yesterday. I was telling her she should drive to Pali Lookout and go see the mountains, drive thru the tunnel.
I mean, Waikiki is beautiful as well. You really just can't go wrong going to any of the beaches.
Q. What is the thing you are most looking forward to being home this week?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Always the food. I feel like I've gone all my local spots already. Yeah, just being at home, spending some time with my parents and family and hopefully getting to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in a while.
Q. Nelly and Brooke mentioned earlier they enjoy playing out here because the grass is the same they grew up playing on. Can you speak about how you think playing in Hawai'i suits you since you grew up playing out here?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I definitely think this is a ball-strikers' course. The paspalum, you get a lot of really good lies out there. Then, yeah, just growing up in the wind and being more familiar with how the ball reacts in the wind is always an advantage.
Q. Looking ahead to the rest of the season, we are kind of in the home stretch. What are you looking forward it to close out the 2025 season?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I think just looking forward to another fun stretch of golf. I love going over to Asia and capping off the season in Florida as well. It's just so much fun being out here and, I love just -- yeah, it feels like I get to spend a lot of time with my friends and live out the dream, so it's been a lot of fun.
Q. Welcome home. This season the LPGA nobody is a repeat winner. Only one repeated here in the history of the event is Brooke. Maybe it's your turn. You've been playing well; tied for second couple weeks ago. You're doing well until the weather took over last one, right?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, I mean, I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, game feel like it's been coming around. I think just based on how deep the Tour is, like you said, no repeat winners this year, definitely a really strong field, and I'm really looking forward to having the chance to go out there and compete.
Q. Some of the other players were talking about how -- and it's kind of reflective of how Hawai'i is, if you grew up here. But they like this tournament because there are so many different cultures and cuisines represented. 120 players from I believe 26 different countries. Is that fun for you?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, just the exposure that we have and how global the Tour is, you just meet so many great people out here. Yeah, coming home, too, it's nice to just feel really comfortable at home and also just -- I grew up watching this event so it really is like, wow, I'm the one playing now. Really is kind of a full-circle moment for me to be back.
Q. When you did come in second a few weeks ago and your game is -- was there a specific something that you got -- you know, improved at? Did you change anything?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I feel like it's just sometimes the course suits you or like just the game is just a little better, just make more putts. Sometimes it doesn't -- like bad golf isn't always bad. Sometimes you're just learning and kind of figure things out.
So yeah, just feels like everything has been trending to get better so I am looking forward to a good week.
Q. What is it like playing on Hawai'i time? Do you ever feel like that's an advantage for you or is there any more comfort that comes with that?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, definitely think just growing up and playing in the wind is an advantage. Just feeling a little more comfortable, especially when it starts getting gusty. Just being a little more familiar with how the courses are. I played a few qualifiers here growing up, so definitely a course I've seen a few times. This is my third time coming back as a pro as well.
So, yeah, looking forward to getting out, uh-huh.
Q. What are your thoughts and any advice you have for a Alexa Takai, who is a Punahao golfer like yourself and taking on the pros this week?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, she's a really solid player. I haven't seen her game up close, but I've been with watching how she's played over the last few years. It's really impressive to see. So she obviously really works really hard and is a really solid player.
So I would say just enjoy the experience and enjoy -- learn from the pro you're playing with and use it as a way to get better.
Q. Curious, how often does your U.S. Open win stick with you, and how often do you turn to that as an example of what you can accomplish in this sport?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: Yeah, it's definitely something I look back on and just try to emulate what I did that week and what I was thinking, what I was doing to prepare for tournaments.
I go back to that performance a lot and just use it as ways to get better. It's really awesome to just have people even two years later come up to me and say congratulations. It's been the most fun to be able to share the win with family and friends, fans; that's been really special to me.
Q. Some of those things that you said were successful for you, are you able to share some of those or those things you keep to yourself?
ALLISEN CORPUZ: I mean, I think for me it really is getting into the right headspace, getting more comfortable out there. I mean, I just -- everyone is out there trying their best. Really not being who hard on myself out there.
THE MODERATOR: Perfect, thank you, Allisen.
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