Sweden s Maja Stark grabs one shot lead at US Women s Open

CHICAGO – Maja Stark fired three birdies in an impressively steady two-under 70 at an unforgiving Erin Hills on May 31 to seize a one-stroke lead over Julia Lopez Ramirez heading into the final round of the 80th US Women’s Open.

Sweden’s Stark, a European Solheim Cup stalwart chasing her first Major title, kept her focus in a round that stretched nearly six hours as players wrestled with firm, fast greens on a breezy, sunny day in Wisconsin.

Her seven-under total of 209 put her one stroke clear of Spanish qualifier Lopez Ramirez, whose four-under 68 was the best score of a day on which only nine players broke par.

Japan’s Mao Saigo, who started the day with a three-shot lead, carded a three-over 75 to share third, alongside compatriots Rio Takeda and Hinako Shibuno on five-under 211.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who played alongside Saigo in the final group, finished strong in a one-over 73 that left her three adrift on four-under 212.

Stark, 25, said the difficulty of the course actually made her less anxious – a key for her as she tries to kick the habit of “playing scared”.

“In normal tournaments, I kind of swing scared because I think it’s a birdie competition, but here it’s really not,” Stark said, adding that on June 1 she will just “try to play freely”.

Stark opened with a confidence-boosting birdie at the first hole. She bogeyed the third, but stuck her second shot at the 10th two feet from the pin for a birdie. She rattled in a 21-foot birdie at the par-three 16th to seize a share of the lead on seven under, before emerging with the solo lead as Saigo closed with back-to-back bogeys.

The tough scoring made Lopez Ramirez’s round look all the more