Maja Stark Stuns at U.S. Women's Open—But What Happened on the Back Nine?

Maja Stark Stuns at U.S. Women's Open—But What Happened on the Back Nine?

Sweden’s Maja Stark delivered a breakthrough performance at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, capturing her first major title in dramatic fashion at Erin Hills, Wisconsin. The 25-year-old outlasted world No. Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda, finishing at 7-under-par for a two-shot victory in the season’s second women’s golf major.

Stark entered the final round with a narrow lead and held her nerve, carding an even-par 72 on Sunday. Her steady play—three birdies and three bogeys—proved enough as her main rivals faltered late. Korda, who shot a final-round 71, and Takeda, with a 72, both finished at 5-under, unable to catch Stark down the stretch.

The defining moment came on the back nine, where Stark’s disciplined approach and a critical 14-foot birdie separated her from the field. She protected her lead with a clutch two-putt par from 50 feet on the 15th, while Korda bogeyed at a pivotal moment, sealing Stark’s advantage.

With this win, Stark becomes only the third Swedish player to lift the Harton S. Semple Trophy, joining legends Liselotte Neumann and Annika Sorenstam Her victory marks her second LPGA Tour title and signals a new force on the women’s golf scene as the LPGA leaderboard looks ahead to the rest of the season—and the 2025 U.S. Open looms on the horizon.

Stark’s poised finish and strategic play have set the golf world abuzz. What does this mean for the LPGA’s rising stars and the next chapter of women’s major golf? The leaderboard may never look the same.

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