Sweden’s Maja Stark fends off Nelly Korda to clinch US Women’s Open title

Maja Stark shot seven-under 72 to claim her first major championship, winning the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills on Sunday.

The 25-year-old became the sixth Swede to win a women’s major, finishing two strokes ahead of Rio Takeda and world No 1 Nelly Korda.

Korda carded 71 on the final day, while Takeda shot 72, both ending the tournament at five-under.

Mao Saigo, Hye-Jin Choi and Ruoning Yin finished the tournament tied for fourth at four under, while Hailee Cooper and Hinako Shibuno finished three under.

The competition tightened as Korda, Shibuno, and Takeda birdied the par-five 14th, cutting Stark’s lead to two strokes.

But Shibuno narrowly missed a nine-and-a-half-foot eagle attempt and Korda came up short on her own eagle putt.

Stark responded with a birdie of her own on 14, restoring her three-shot lead before finishing the round with bogeys on the final two holes.

Stark entered the final round with a one-stroke lead, one stroke ahead of Julia Lopez Ramirez, who ended the day tied for 19th.

“It feels so surreal, and it felt like it was so far away just a couple of weeks ago,” she told LPGA in the aftermath of her win.

“Just last week, my confidence was so low, and then I had a special friend tell me that you need to be confident. You need to trust yourself, and that’s what I try to do. I try to make myself and everyone on my team proud.”

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Korda’s runner-up finish is her strongest showing at the US Women’s Open, improving on an eighth-place tie in 2022.

PA