ERIN, Wis. — Maja Stark arrived at the U.S. Women`s Open feeling a lack of confidence.
By letting go of her concerns, she achieved the most significant victory in women`s golf.
The 25-year-old Swede finished Sunday with an even-par round of 72, maintaining her lead throughout the day. Her final score at Erin Hills was 7-under 281 over four rounds, securing a two-stroke lead over world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Japan`s Rio Takeda.
Stark commented, “I believe I simply stopped attempting to control every aspect and allowed events to unfold naturally.” She added, “During practice, I found that hovering the club slightly above the ground before hitting helped release tension in my body. Focusing on these small, practical actions and trusting my process was crucial this week, as I prefer not to depend solely on my confidence level.”
Stark is now the sixth Swedish woman to win a major championship, following Anna Nordqvist`s victory at the 2021 Women`s British Open. This win also marks Stark`s second LPGA Tour title.
The former Oklahoma State golfer is the first Swede to claim the U.S. Women`s Open title since Annika Sorenstam`s third win in 2006. Liselotte Neumann was the only other Swedish winner of this tournament, in 1988.
Stark mentioned, “They messaged me yesterday, essentially saying, `Bring it home.`”
Stark`s consistent play proved decisive as she fended off challenges from Korda and many other competitors.
Korda finished her round with a 71, while Takeda carded a 72, resulting in a tie for second place. Hye-Jin Choi shot a 68, Ruoning Yin a 70, and Mao Saigo a 73, tying for fourth at 4-under par. Hailee Cooper (70) and Hinako Shibuno (74) finished at 3-under.
Stark`s playing partner, Julia Lopez Ramirez, quickly lost ground, finishing with a 79 and tying for 19th. Lopez Ramirez, who began the day one stroke behind the leader, recorded a triple bogey on the 18th hole.
This marks Korda`s best performance in the U.S. Women`s Open to date.
Korda described her relationship with the U.S. Women`s Open as “complicated” earlier in the week, noting her previous best finish was a tie for eighth in 2022 at Pine Needles. Last year, she missed the cut after an opening round 80.
Korda stated, “Having first played this event at age 14, perhaps I feel a bit more emotionally invested. It has certainly been heartbreaking a few times… Last year`s result truly stung, but that`s golf. You typically lose more often than you win.”
She added, “Playing the U.S. Women`s Open, which challenges every aspect of your game, really helps me learn about myself, my skills, and areas for improvement.”
Korda made birdies on the 7th and 8th holes but missed a 9-foot putt on the 9th that would have pulled her level with Stark. Korda`s birdie opportunity occurred shortly after Stark`s run of 21 bogey-free holes concluded on the 7th.
Stark then increased her advantage to three strokes by sinking a 14-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole, right after Korda missed a par putt from under 5 feet on the 13th.
Korda, Shibuno, and Takeda closed the gap to two strokes with birdies on the par-5 14th. However, Korda missed a 14-foot putt for eagle, and Shibuno missed an eagle try from 9½ feet.
Stark responded with a birdie on the 14th hole herself, restoring her three-shot cushion at 9-under. She held onto that lead despite recording bogeys on the final two holes.
Stark stated, “I didn`t check the leaderboards until I was around the 17th hole. I saw a quick look. It was fine. I wasn`t as anxious as I anticipated because I felt a degree of control over my game and understood the situation.”
Stark gave credit to her caddie, Jeff Brighton, a former standup comedian, who helped her stay relaxed by sharing jokes and preventing her from getting too focused on the pressure.
She explained, “We just chatted about different things, trying not to overthink my putts.”
Brighton commented, “Maja is quite an intense player. She`s very competitive and puts in a lot of effort, so with an intense player, you try to help them take their mind off the game between shots.”
He spoke while wearing a cheesehead hat, similar to those worn by fans at Green Bay Packers games.
Stark maintained her composure effectively, securing the $2.4 million prize in the year`s most financially rewarding event. Now, she faces the task of deciding how to spend her winnings.
Stark joked, “Perhaps moving out of my studio apartment could be a starting point.”
