Maja Stark prepared to maneuver on from U.S. Women’s Open win: ‘Extra enjoyable to play for it than to have it’

Life-changing moments are sometimes divided into the earlier than and the after — that’s why they’re life-changing.

For defending U.S. Women’s Open champion Maja Stark, a lot of the previous yr has been spent determining tips on how to transfer on from her win and managing the aftermath. After all, she arrived at Erin Hills in 2025 with just one LPGA win and was principally targeted on retaining her standing on tour.

Then she received.

Her standing on tour was assured for 5 years, so Stark now not had the strain of sustaining her card. Then her motivation tanked, leading to her lacking 5 of seven cuts, together with two majors.

When Stark arrived at Riviera Country Club this week, she needed to return her first main trophy, however the Swede was able to let it go.

“I had it sitting in my room and I just saw it every day, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’ but I just want to move on — like I want the challenge again. It’s kind of weird,” Stark stated Tuesday forward of the 81st U.S. Women’s Open.

“It was fun to have it, but it’s more fun to play for it than to have it, I guess.”

Stark has been forthcoming about her struggles previously 12 months, and he or she has targeted on constructing a powerful group round her. She began working with a therapist, and he or she has a sports activities psychologist and a psychological coach.

“It was just really nice because I didn’t feel like I was crazy because I have so many people around me saying this is okay,” Stark stated. “You’re going to get through this even if you don’t feel like it, and you’re going to get back to normal. All of a sudden it happened.”

This season, Stark has made seven of eight cuts. No wins. No top-10s. But she’s trending in the proper route and has performed her finest golf of the yr previously month-and-a-half. She had her finest end to this point this season with a T-16 on the Kroger Queen City Championship in mid-May.

“I played okay at Chevron (T-21), and then I felt like it’s just been a lot more solid, more stress free,” Stark stated. “No crazy good results yet, but I feel confident that I’m working on the right stuff, and the results are going to come.”

One change that has boosted her confidence lately: switching her putter.

This is the proper place, proper time to really feel assured about your quick recreation, particularly on unforgiving U.S. Open greens.

“It’s so fast out here that I feel like I really need something that I’m comfortable with, and I’m really happy that I have that.”

With the trophy returned, Stark has metaphorically flipped the web page, releasing her up, mentally, for what is anticipated to be one other difficult and difficult main at one in every of golf’s most iconic programs. She’ll be in good firm, too, with each main winner since 2021 within the discipline.

“I feel a little bit more pressure than I usually do, I guess,” Stark stated of being again on this stage. “Then I just think, ‘What are the odds of winning it again?’ So… that just kind of takes the pressure away.”

Riviera Country Club hosts the third ladies’s main of the season. Here’s a have a look at Round 1 tee instances and groupings for the U.S. Women’s Open.