Despite some surges and quality performances from stars such as Nelly Korda and Linn Grant, Swedish golfer Maja Stark was able to hold them off and secure her first major title at the U.S. Women's Open.
How Maja Stark won the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open
Stark entered Sunday at -7 under par and finished the round at -7 under par. While many players took risks and made mistakes in an effort to catch up to Stark, she played a sound round and secured the trophy, winning by two strokes ahead of Korda, who finished at -1 under on the day.
Linn Grant finished +1 over par for Sunday but secured a top-10 finish for the tournament. She celebrated with her fellow Swede by dousing Stark with champagne after the victory, which moved Stark up to 14th in the Race to CME Globe Standings and saw a pay day of more than $2 million dollars. It was her second victory on tour. She does have two other top 10 wins on the year.
Maja Stark reveals key mindset change that led to major breakthrough
"I think that I just stopped trying to control everything, and I just kind of let everything happen the way it happened," Stark said after the victory. "During the practice days, I realized that, if I just kind of hovered the club above the ground a little bit before I hit, I released some tension in my body."
She won the ISPS Handa World Invitational in 2022, and before Sunday had just five top-25 wins in majors. She is the sixth Swedish player to win a major in her career.
Now she could challenge the likes of Korda, Grant, Rose Zhang and Lydia Ko as top golfers in the world. The poise she demonstrated throughout the entire tournament may be an indication she is ready to take the next step.
Can Maja Stark contend at the Women’s PGA Championship?
In only three weeks, the next women's major is set take place at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, teeing off on June 19.
There are two tournaments between now and then, and Stark may either chose to play in either one or rest after her major victory. She does run the risk of her top competitors securing a victory before the PGA and gaining the momentum they may need.
However, if Stark demonstrates the poise and confidence she displayed on Sunday, she may be looking at winning another tournament and major before season's end.