Erin, Wisconsin – Maja Stark was able to say early Saturday that Erin Hills will offer a much more challenge than the first two days of the US Women’s Open.
However, she found a way to avoid the bewildering mistakes of many other competitors during the brutal third round. The 25-year-old from Sweden is currently in a position to win a $2.4 million award at the biggest event of the women’s golf season.
Stark shot a 2-under 70, giving him a total of 7-under 209 and a one-shot advantage heading for the final round of Sunday. Spain’s Julia López Ramirez was second only to the day’s highest score, age 68.
“I think I’m just going to play freely,” Stark said. “I don’t think anyone played well when they were scared, and I think that was my habit.
The Japanese trio of Rio Takeda (70), Nanabehara Island (72) and second round leader Mao Saigo (75) continued at 5 under. Top Rank Nelly Korda was under the age of four after 73.
The faster green and tricky pin arrangement wreaked havoc with almost everyone on the course, leading to many double and triple bogeys.
One example of this was on the par 4 of the 15th when Esther Henslate’s Eagleput, 55 feet away, entered roughness over 90 feet from the hole. Henseleit ended with a double bogey.
“It’s so difficult because they tend to put holes at the edge of the slope, so you can see them enter the grain and go to the hole, and after the hole you can just see the grain going in the opposite direction,” Stark said. “It’s very difficult to get the distance right. Knowing if you’re putting this five feet on it, it’s really scary.
The struggle in this field helped Lopez Ramirez make an astounding surge within three months of appendectomy.
Lopez Ramirez isn’t necessarily in 29th place in any of the seven LPGA Tours this season, but the 22-year-old rookie was the SEC Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 at Mississippi.
“I clearly believe it when you’re in college and you’re trying to win an event where you have the same nerve,” said Lopez Ramirez. “That’s what you care about in that moment. You just want to win that tournament.”
Saigo took a three-shot lead that day, but first made three straight bogeys at Nos 4-6 to fall into the tie. She returned to Reid’s sole possession with a 12-foot birdie putt 12th, but Stark tied her down with a 21½-foot birdie in par 3 16th. Saigo then bogeyed the last two and fell two.
She said the pin placement caused her biggest problem on Saturday.
“First of all, I want to get some good rest and then (go out) to refresh myself tomorrow. I want to start from scratch,” Saigo said through an interpreter.
Many other candidates faced similar misfortunes.
Lim Kim, who placed second in a six-way tie on Saturday, went first, reaching under six, earning seven on the next four holes. Kim Bogey is No. 2, Double Bogey No. 3, Triple Bogey No. 4, and Bogey No. 5. She’s now 77.
Jin Hee birded two of the first three holes to get to 6 under before turning the fourth of Pal 4 into a triple bogey. No was also 6 years old before his double bogey on No. 3. im went to 79 and went to 75 no shots.
Korda had 40 on the front nine without four bogeys and birdies, but they gathered with three birdies on the final five holes.
“It’s just a golf course, and maybe it won’t hit the right place, and there’s a 40-foot tip running from the back, not nearly tap-in,” Korda said. “You know your way of thinking knows you’re going to make mistakes, but you can also bounce back here.”
