Sweden's Maja Stark wins the U.S. Women's Open for her first major championship
ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Maja Stark of Sweden continued the steady play she demonstrated all week to win the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday at Erin Hills for her first major championship.
Stark shot an even-par 72 to finish at 7-under 281, two strokes ahead of top-ranked Nelly Korda and Japan's Rio Takeda.
Stark earned $2.4 million in the biggest event of the women's golf season. The 25-year-old Stark became the sixth Swede to win a women's major, and the first since Anna Nordqvist in the 2021 Women's British Open. The former Oklahoma State player is the first Swede to win a U.S. Women's Open since Annika Sorenstam in 2006.
Stark won her second second LPGA Tour title. She also won the
2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational
in Northern Ireland, an event co-sanctioned by Ladies European Tour.
Korda closed with a 71, and Takeda had a 72.
Hye-Jin Choi (68), Ruoning Yin (70) and Mao Saigo (73) tied for fourth at 4 under. Hailee Cooper (70) and Hinako Shibuno (74) were 3 under.
Stark took a one-stroke lead into the final round and had said Saturday she wanted to make sure she played freely, noting that 'no one has ever played well when they've been playing scared, and I think that's been my habit before, to just kind of try to hang on to it.'
It was her consistency that ultimately made the difference as Stark stayed ahead throughout the day and held off the challengers.
This still was as close as Korda has come to winning a U.S. Women's Open. Her best previous finish was a tie for eighth place in 2022 at Pine Needles.
Korda made birdied Nos. 7 and 8, but missed a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 9 that would have tied her for the lead. Korda's birdie attempt on No. 9 came minutes after Stark's bogey-free streak ended at 21 on No. 7.
Stark then extended her lead to three by making a 14-foot birdie putt on No. 11 immediately after Korda missed a par putt of just under 5 feet at No. 13.
Korda, Shibuno and Takeda got within two strokes of Stark with birdies on the par-5 14th, though Korda missed a 14-foot eagle putt and Shibuno missed an eagle attempt from 9 1/2 feet.
Stark then made a birdie of her own on No. 14 to regain her three-stroke advantage at 9 under. She bogeyed the last two holes.
Her playing partner, Julia Lopez Ramirez, fell out of contention early on her way to 79 that left her tied for 19th. Lopez Ramirez had a triple bogey on 18.
___
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