On Saturday at Erin Hills, Maja Stark recognized that the course would be significantly more challenging than during the first two rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open. Despite this, she navigated the course with skill, avoiding the pitfalls that troubled many of her competitors in a tough third round. Now, the 25-year-old Swede stands on the verge of claiming the $2.4 million prize offered in this prestigious women’s golf tournament.
Stark finished her round with an impressive 2-under 70, bringing her total to a 7-under 209, and securing a one-shot lead as she heads into the final round on Sunday. Coming in second was Julia Lopez Ramirez from Spain, who recorded the best score of the day with a 68.
“I think I’m just going to try to play freely,” Stark revealed. “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.”
The Japanese contingent comprising Rio Takeda (70), Hinako Shibuno (72), and Mao Saigo (75) were close behind at 5 under, while top-ranked Nelly Korda held a 4 under after her round of 73. The day proved challenging, with players contending with faster greens and difficult pin placements that resulted in numerous double and triple bogeys.
A notable moment occurred on the par-4 15th when Esther Henseleit’s eagle attempt from 55 feet rolled an astonishing 90 feet past the hole, landing in the rough and culminating in a double bogey. Stark commented on the tricky conditions, “It’s so hard because they tend to put holes that are right on the edges of the slopes, so you can see going into the grain and up until the hole, and then after the hole you just see that the grain is going the other way. It’s really scary when you know if you putt this five feet by, then that’s gone.”
Lopez Ramirez’s unexpected ascent was a silver lining on a difficult day, especially impressive given that she underwent an appendectomy less than three months prior. Although she has yet to finish higher than a tie for 29th in her seven LPGA Tour events this year, she was named the Southeastern Conference player of the year in 2023 and 2024 while at Mississippi State.
“When you’re in college and you’re about to win an event, you have the same nerves,” Lopez Ramirez explained. “That’s the most you care in that moment. You just want to win that tournament.”
Starting the day with a three-shot lead, Saigo faced challenges including three consecutive bogeys from Nos. 4-6, dropping her into a tie for first. Although she reclaimed the lead with a birdie on No. 12, Stark matched her with a decisive birdie on the par-3 16th. Saigo later bogeyed the final two holes, finishing two shots behind.
Reflecting on the day, Saigo expressed her struggle with the pin placements, “The first thing is I’d like to rest well and then tomorrow (come out) refreshed, and I’d like to start from zero,” she communicated through an interpreter.
A number of contenders faced similar battles. A Lim Kim, initially in a tie for second, birdied the first hole but crumbled on the next four holes, ultimately shooting a 77. Jinhee Im began strong with early birdies but faltered with a triple bogey on the fourth, finishing with a 79. Noh met the same fate with a double bogey on the third hole, ending with a 75.
Korda found her rhythm late in the round after a challenging start. Her front nine was marred by a 40, with four bogeys and no birdies, yet she recovered with three birdies among the final five holes. Reflecting on the challenging layout, Korda noted, “It’s just a golf course where you may not hit it in the right spot, and it’ll go down 40 feet, and instead of being almost tap-in range, now you have a 40-foot chip where it’s running off the back, as well. You just know that your mentality is that you’re going to make mistakes, but you can also bounce back here.”