With a two-shot triumph at the US Women’s Open, Maja Stark secured her maiden major title and became the third Swede to raise the trophy.
Holding off the threat of world number one Nelly Korda of the United States and Japan’s Rio Taneka at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, Stark, the first Swedish champion since Annika Sorenstam won her third title in 2006,
After a closing round of level-par 72 saw her triumph on seven under, “this just feels huge,” she remarked.
“Although you always know that it’s possible, this tour features so many outstanding golfers. I [didn’t] think I could accomplish this this week.
“I simply didn’t want to outpace myself. I just felt like others would pass me most; I thought there was still a lot of golf still to be played and I just had to remain cool through that.
“Until I was on 17, I ignored the leaderboards. I saw a glint of it. It was lovely.
Starting the last round with a one-shot advantage, the 25-year-old stretched her lead to two with her first birdie of the day at the sixth as her playing companion Julia Lopez Ramirez struggled.
Three back at the start of the day, Korda closed to within one after two under par over the opening nine.
Stark birdied the 11th, minutes after Korda bogeyed the 13th, to seize control and she reached nine under when she grabbed yet another shot on the 14th.
Korda’s challenge faded on the rear nine and concluded with a bogey as she noted her best performance in the US Women’s Open.
That let Stark finish with consecutive bogeys on the last two holes, therefore providing comfort.
Having won two majors, Korda is still looking for her first triumph since November and the 26-year-old had conflicting emotions following her last round of 71.
“It’s still quite complicated,” she remarked of her relationship with the championship. “It is simply a heartbreaker of extreme intensity.
” Maybe I can build off of this, putting myself in contention at a major, clearly just sloppily short. Though it stings a little, I’m glad with the development and maybe I can keep going in this direction.
Starting the last round at level par, England’s Charley Hull scored four birdies and ten pars in her opening fourteen holes to ascend the standings. She bogeyed the fifteenth and dropped two more strokes on the seventeenth as she closed with a 71 to finish tied twelve on one under.
With a three-over 75, fellow Englishwoman Lottie Woad came first among all the amateur players on five over.
Three under at the half stage, Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh closed with a second consecutive 78 to drop to nine over par.
