Sweden’s Maja Stark delivered a steely performance to win her first major at Erin Hills, outlasting the world’s best.
Sweden’s Maja Stark captured her first major title with a calm, composed performance at the 80th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally, finishing at 7-under-par for a two-shot victory over Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda. Her final-round 72 was enough to secure the win at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
Stark, 25, is now the third Swedish player to lift the Harton S. Semple Trophy, following in the footsteps of Liselotte Neumann and Annika Sorenstam. Her measured play drew comparisons to Sorenstam’s own U.S. Open strategy: keeping mistakes to a minimum and capitalizing when it counted.
A Poised Final Round
Starting the day with a narrow lead, Stark delivered three birdies and three bogeys to maintain her position while others faltered. The defining moment came when a bogey by world No. 1 Nelly Korda coincided with a 14-foot birdie from Stark, swinging momentum firmly in her favor. She protected her lead with disciplined golf down the stretch, including a critical two-putt par from 50 feet on the 15th hole.
“I just didn’t want to get ahead of myself,” Stark said after the win. “It felt like I could just control anything that was thrown at me.”
Korda and Takeda Share Second
Korda’s runner-up finish marked her best result in 11 U.S. Women’s Open starts. The American rebounded from a shaky Saturday front nine to close the weekend strong, playing her last 27 holes in four under par.
Takeda also continued her upward trajectory, notching her second consecutive top-10 finish in this championship.
Young Stars Make Their Mark
The top of the leaderboard reflected a new wave in women’s golf. Among the top six entering the final round, no player was older than 26. Alongside Stark were young standouts like Mao Saigo, Rio Takeda, and Julia Lopez Ramirez, highlighting the depth of emerging talent in the game.
Lopez Ramirez, a qualifier, played in Sunday’s final group but slipped out of the top 10 after a triple bogey on the 18th hole. Meanwhile, fellow qualifier Hailee Cooper earned a tie for seventh, securing a spot in next year’s championship at Riviera Country Club.
Low Amateur Honors for Lottie Woad
England’s Lottie Woad, the world’s top-ranked amateur, took low amateur honors at 293. Oregon’s Kiara Romero turned heads with a 67 on Sunday—the lowest final-round score ever by an amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open—after shooting 84 the previous day.
A Message from the Greats
Before the final round, Stark received text messages of support from Sorenstam and Neumann. “They said, ‘bring it home.’ That was already cool to just get those texts,” Stark said. She now has nine professional wins and appears poised for an even brighter future.
View the final results here >>>
