PAJU, South Korea, Playing in South Korea for the second straight year this week, American LPGA golfer Allisen Corpuz is enjoying a rare opportunity to play in front of her extended family.
Born in Hawaii to a Filipino father and a Korean mother, Corpuz has relatives on her mother's side still living in South Korea, including her grandmother.
Corpuz's mother, May, and her family will be following the 25-year-old reigning U.S. Women's Open champion at the BMW Ladies Championship, the lone LPGA event held in South Korea each year. Now in its fourth edition, the tournament is being played at Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, northwest of Seoul, in Gyeonggi Province.
"Especially playing in front of my grandma ... obviously she's getting old and just even having my mom's side of the family out to watch me is always really special," Corpuz told Yonhap News Agency after shooting a three-under 69 in the opening round. "It's too far for them to travel to the U.S. So this is really the one time that they get to watch me play."
Corpuz said she traveled to South Korea a few times when she was younger to visit her grandmother in the southeastern city of Daegu. She also has an aunt in Seoul.
"It would be really special to have more family out and just to have it in Korea would be really special," Corpuz said, when asked what winning on Korean soil would mean to her. "I love the food, and the weather is always good. I love just coming and seeing family."
Corpuz, now playing in her second LPGA season, notched her maiden win at the biggest tournament of them all. The U.S. Women's Open is the oldest of the five women's majors, and Corpuz's breakthrough came on the fabled Pebble Beach in California.
As for how her life has changed since the major victory, Corpuz said: "I think, just a lot more attention, which is good. I love coming out and having people come and follow me.
"And just a lot of perspective," Corpuz added. "I think I definitely have a lot more confidence from the win and just being able to go out there and prove to myself that I can win. Just hope that I can get a second one."
Source: Yonhap News Agency