Before arriving at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin, for the U.S. Women`s Open, Maja Stark was struggling with her confidence.
However, choosing to stop dwelling on those worries proved to be the catalyst for her securing the most significant title in women`s golf.
The 25-year-old Swede carded an even-par 72 on Sunday, successfully maintaining her lead throughout the final round. Her cumulative score over four days was 7-under 281 at Erin Hills, placing her two strokes ahead of world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Japan`s Rio Takeda.
“I think I just stopped trying to control everything and let things happen naturally,” Stark commented. “During practice, I discovered that slightly hovering the club before hitting helped release physical tension. Focusing on executing my processes well and implementing small adjustments like that was key this week, as I prefer not to depend on my confidence level.”
Stark is now the sixth Swedish woman to claim a major championship title, the first since Anna Nordqvist won the Women`s British Open in 2021. This victory also marks Stark`s second career win on the LPGA Tour.
The former Oklahoma State golfer is the first Swede to win the U.S. Women`s Open since Annika Sorenstam secured her third title in 2006. Liselotte Neumann was the sole other Swedish winner of this event, in 1988.
“They texted me yesterday and essentially said, `Bring it home,` ” Stark shared.
Stark`s consistent performance proved decisive in holding off challenges from Korda and numerous other competitors.
Korda concluded with a round of 71, while Takeda shot 72, resulting in a tie for second place. Hye-Jin Choi (68), Ruoning Yin (70), and Mao Saigo (73) were tied for fourth at 4-under par. Hailee Cooper (70) and Hinako Shibuno (74) finished the tournament at 3-under.
Julia Lopez Ramirez, Stark`s playing partner who began the day just one stroke behind the leader, finished with a 79 and fell back into a tie for 19th. Lopez Ramirez recorded a triple bogey on the 18th hole.
This marked Nelly Korda`s closest attempt yet at winning the U.S. Women`s Open title.
Korda spoke this week about her “complicated relationship” with the U.S. Women`s Open, highlighting that her previous best result was a tie for eighth place in 2022 at Pine Needles. She failed to make the cut at the tournament the previous year, opening with a round of 80.
“I played this event when I was 14 years old, so perhaps I`m a bit more emotional about it,” Korda commented. “It`s certainly broken my heart a few times… That performance last year definitely felt like a dagger, but that`s just golf. Most of the time, you`re going to lose more than you win.”
“I feel I learn a great deal about myself and my game, and where improvements are needed, by playing the U.S. Women`s Open because it truly tests every facet of your game.”
Korda made birdies on the 7th and 8th holes but missed a 9-foot birdie putt on the 9th that would have brought her into a tie for the lead. Korda`s birdie attempt on the 9th occurred just minutes after Stark`s streak of 21 bogey-free holes concluded on the 7th.
Stark then increased her lead to three strokes by sinking a 14-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole, immediately following Korda`s missed par putt from just under 5 feet on the 13th.
Korda, Shibuno, and Takeda closed within two strokes of Stark by making birdies on the par-5 14th hole, although Korda missed a 14-foot putt for eagle and Shibuno missed an eagle attempt from 9½ feet.
Stark then made a birdie of her own on the 14th hole, restoring her three-stroke lead and moving to 9-under par. She maintained that advantage despite bogeying the final two holes.
“I didn`t look at the leaderboards until I was around the 17th hole,” Stark commented. “I caught a quick look. It felt alright. I wasn`t as nervous as I anticipated because I felt I had some degree of control over my game and understood the situation.”
Stark attributed her composure to caddie Jeff Brighton, a former standup comedian who helped keep her relaxed by telling jokes and ensuring she didn`t dwell on the high stakes.
“We just tried to discuss other things and not get too fixated on my own putts,” she said.
Brighton commented, “I`d say Maja is quite an intense player. She puts in a lot of effort and is very competitive, so when a player is intense, you try to distract them between shots to take their mind off the golf.”
He spoke while wearing a cheesehead hat, similar to those seen at Green Bay Packers games.
Stark`s ability to remain composed allowed her to secure the $2.4 million prize in the year`s most lucrative event. Now, she just needs to figure out how to spend her winnings.
“Maybe moving out of my studio apartment could be one possibility,” Stark quipped.
