Despite coming into the U.S. Women’s Open doubting her form, Sweden’s Maja Stark silenced all concerns by claiming her biggest victory yet with a composed final round and a strong mental approach. The 25-year-old carded an even-par 72 on Sunday, closing out the tournament at 7-under 281 at Erin Hills to win by two shots over world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda.
Rather than dwelling on her confidence struggles, Stark chose to shift her focus. “I just stopped trying to control everything and let things happen naturally,” she said. She credited a small pre-shot routine tweak—hovering her club slightly before swinging—for helping her stay relaxed and focused throughout the week. “I didn’t rely on confidence this week, just on my process.”
Stark becomes the sixth Swedish golfer to win a women’s major championship, following in the footsteps of Anna Nordqvist and Annika Sörenstam, and the first Swede to capture the U.S. Women’s Open since Sörenstam’s win in 2006. The win also marks Stark’s second career LPGA Tour title.
She held her ground against fierce competition, with Korda closing with a 71 and Takeda also finishing with a 72 to tie for second. Hye-Jin Choi (68), Ruoning Yin (70), and Mao Saigo (73) shared fourth at 4-under. Stark’s final-day playing partner, Julia Lopez Ramirez, fell out of contention early with a 79, finishing tied for 19th.
Korda, still chasing her first U.S. Women’s Open win, admitted to a love-hate dynamic with the championship. Having missed the cut last year, this runner-up finish marked her best result in the event. “This tournament has broken my heart a few times,” she said. “But I learn the most about myself and my game here.”
Korda had a chance to tie the lead after Stark bogeyed No. 7, but missed a 9-foot birdie on No. 9. Stark responded with a clutch 14-foot birdie on the 11th, immediately following Korda’s missed par on the 13th. On the par-5 14th, all three contenders—Korda, Shibuno, and Takeda—narrowed the gap to two strokes with birdies, but Stark answered with a birdie of her own to extend the lead back to three.
Even with bogeys on the last two holes, Stark never lost control. She only glanced at a leaderboard late in the round and was surprised by how composed she felt. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be,” she said. “I felt like I had a handle on my game.”
Much of that composure came with help from her caddie, Jeff Brighton, a former stand-up comic whose humor helped keep her grounded. “We kept it light between shots,” Brighton said, donning a cheesehead hat in a nod to Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers. “She’s a competitive player, but we tried to keep her relaxed and focused only when needed.”
The win earned Stark a $2.4 million paycheck, the largest prize in women’s golf. When asked what she’ll do with the money, she laughed: “Maybe I can finally move out of my studio apartment.”