Maja Stark is living up to her name.
Stark means strong in Swedish, and her game was just that this week at Erin Hills, where the 25-year-old Swede claimed her maiden major title.
The former Oklahoma State Cowboy finished at 7 under with a final-round 72 to claim a two-stroke victory over world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda in golf’s most grueling test.
“You always kind of know that it’s possible,” Stark said, “but there are so many good golfers on this tour. “It just—yeah, I don’t think I would be able to do it this week. I’ll be honest to say that.”
Stark, whose first and only tour win came in 2022, entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Julia Lopez Ramirez of Spain, who faltered Sunday with a final-round 79 and a triple-bogey 8 on the final hole, costing her a chance to qualify for next year's championship.
Instead, Stark’s biggest challenger for the title was Korda, who began the day three strokes back. Playing the first nine in 2 under, she was applying the pressure.
But Stark never wavered. She stayed calm, cool and collected—and strong, of course. A birdie on the par-4 11th and par-5 14th extended her lead to three each time. And it could have been even greater, but both of her birdie tries on Nos. 12 and 13 burned the cup.
“Just felt like people are going to pass me probably, and I just had to stay calm through that,” Stark said. “I didn’t look at the leaderboards until I was on like 17.”
The winning moment for Maja Stark ✨pic.twitter.com/HBsfXe8TyJ
— LPGA (@LPGA) June 1, 2025
Korda was first in the field in strokes-gained tee to green, but near the bottom in putting. And ultimately, that would be her downfall. In the tee box on her 72nd hole, Korda, who is still looking for her first win this season after claiming seven titles in ‘24, trailed Stark by three. She placed her drive perfectly in the fairway, but flew the green. With the ball in rough behind the elevated green, her first chip rolled back to her feet, and Korda made bogey.
“You’re going to lose more than you win a majority of the time,” Korda said after a final-round 73. I feel like I actually learn a lot about myself and my game and where I need to improve playing the U.S. Women’s Open because it does test every part of your game.”
With two holes to play, Stark was in the driver’s seat. She pulled her drive into a gnarly lie on the par-4 17th en route to a bogey. And another bogey on the 72nd hole didn’t matter, she was two shots clear of the field after sinking the final putt.
And forever a U.S. Women’s Open champion.
What is she going to do now?
“Maybe move out of my studio apartment can be one thing,” she said.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sweden’s Maja Stark Wins U.S. Women's Open, Outlasting Nelly Korda.
