ERIN, Wis. — Maja Stark, who had been struggling with her confidence heading into the U.S. Women`s Open, found her form by letting go of those worries. This shift propelled her to victory in the most prestigious event in women`s golf.
The 25-year-old Swedish golfer carded an even-par 72 in the final round on Sunday, maintaining her lead throughout the day. Her cumulative score of 7-under 281 over four days at Erin Hills secured her a two-stroke advantage over world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Japan`s Rio Takeda, who finished tied for second.
“I think I just stopped trying to control everything and kind of let everything happen the way it happened,” Stark commented. “During practice, I noticed that hovering the club slightly above the ground before hitting helped release some tension. I believe that focusing on my process and giving myself these small cues was key this week, as I don`t want to rely solely on confidence.”
Stark is the sixth Swedish player to win a women`s major championship, and the first since Anna Nordqvist`s victory at the 2021 Women`s British Open. This also marks Stark`s second career title on the LPGA Tour.
The former Oklahoma State University player is the first Swede to claim the U.S. Women`s Open title since Annika Sorenstam won her third in 2006. The only other Swedish winner of this tournament was Liselotte Neumann in 1988.
“They texted me yesterday and basically said, `Bring it home,`” Stark shared.
Stark`s consistent performance was crucial as she successfully fended off challenges from Korda and numerous other competitors.
Maja Stark of Sweden holding her trophy after winning the U.S. Women`s Open at Erin Hills.
Korda finished her round with a 71, while Takeda carded a 72, resulting in their tie for second place. Hye-Jin Choi (68), Ruoning Yin (70), and Mao Saigo (73) shared fourth place at 4-under. Hailee Cooper (70) and Hinako Shibuno (74) finished at 3-under.
Stark`s playing partner, Julia Lopez Ramirez, who began the day just one stroke behind the lead, struggled and posted a final round of 79, dropping her into a tie for 19th. She notably recorded a triple bogey on the 18th hole.
This marks Korda`s best performance to date in the U.S. Women`s Open.
Korda described her relationship with the U.S. Women`s Open as `complicated` earlier in the week. Her previous best finish was a tie for eighth in 2022, and she missed the cut the following year after a difficult opening round of 80.
“I first played this event when I was 14, so perhaps I`m a bit more emotional about it,” Korda stated. “It`s definitely broken my heart a few times… Last year`s result was certainly painful, but that`s golf. You lose more often than you win.”
“I feel I learn a lot about myself and my game, including areas for improvement, by playing the U.S. Women`s Open because it truly challenges every aspect of your skills.”
Korda made birdies on holes 7 and 8 but missed a 9-foot putt on the 9th that would have brought her level with the leader. Korda`s birdie attempt on the 9th happened shortly after Stark`s streak of 21 bogey-free holes ended on the 7th.
Stark subsequently extended her lead to three strokes with a 14-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole, coming right after Korda missed a short par putt (under 5 feet) on the 13th.
Korda, Shibuno, and Takeda narrowed the gap to two strokes by birdieing the par-5 14th. However, Korda missed a 14-foot eagle attempt, and Shibuno also missed her eagle chance from 9.5 feet.
Stark responded by making her own birdie on the 14th, restoring her three-stroke lead at 9-under. She held onto this advantage despite finishing with bogeys on the final two holes.
“I didn`t look at the leaderboards until I was around the 17th hole,” Stark stated. “I saw a quick look. It was good. I wasn`t as nervous as I expected because I felt I had some control over my game and understood the situation.”
Stark gave credit to her caddie, Jeff Brighton, a former standup comedian. Brighton helped keep her relaxed during the tournament by sharing jokes and preventing her from focusing too much on the pressure.
“We just tried to talk about other things and not get too focused on just my putting,” she explained.
Brighton commented, “I`d say Maja is quite an intense player. She puts in a lot of effort and is very competitive, so when someone is that intense, you try to help them step away from thinking about golf between shots.”
He was seen wearing a cheesehead hat, similar to those worn by fans of the Green Bay Packers.
Stark successfully maintained her composure to earn the substantial $2.4 million prize, awarded in the year`s most lucrative women`s golf event. Now, the only challenge is deciding how to spend her winnings.
“Maybe moving out of my studio apartment could be one thing,” Stark joked.
