Maja Stark quickly sensed Saturday’s third round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills would be far more punishing than the first two. Despite the challenging conditions, the 25-year-old Swede kept her composure, avoiding the costly mistakes that derailed many of her competitors to shoot a 2-under 70 and claim a one-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round.
Her three-day total of 7-under 209 puts her ahead of Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez, whose 4-under 68 was the best score of the day.
“I think I’m just going to try to play freely,” Stark said of her mindset heading into the final round. “No one plays their best when they’re afraid. That’s been my habit in the past — playing scared and just trying to hang on. I don’t want to do that.”
Japan’s Rio Takeda (70), Hinako Shibuno (72), and former leader Mao Saigo (75) are all two shots back at 5 under. World No. 1 Nelly Korda sits at 4 under after a 73.
Course conditions took a sharp turn Saturday, with faster greens and brutal pin placements creating chaos. Double and triple bogeys were common, highlighting just how treacherous Erin Hills had become.
On the par-4 15th, Esther Henseleit’s 55-foot eagle attempt backfired spectacularly, rolling 90 feet past the hole and into the rough, resulting in a double bogey.
“It’s tough,” said Stark. “They’re putting the holes right on the edge of slopes. If you go even a few feet past the pin, your ball might just keep rolling. It’s nerve-wracking.”
The difficult setup opened the door for a surge by Lopez Ramirez, who’s competing in just her eighth LPGA Tour event and is only a few months removed from an appendectomy. The 22-year-old rookie and two-time SEC Player of the Year at Mississippi State had never placed higher than tied for 29th on tour — until now.
“In college, you have the same nerves when you’re in contention,” Lopez Ramirez said. “You care so much about that win, and that’s what I’m feeling now.”
Saigo, who began the day with a three-shot lead, faltered with three consecutive bogeys on holes 4 through 6. Though she briefly regained the lead with a birdie at No. 12, she was caught by Stark’s long birdie putt at the par-3 16th and then dropped two more shots on the final holes.
“The pin placements were the biggest challenge,” Saigo said through an interpreter. “I just want to rest well and come back fresh to start from zero tomorrow.”
Other contenders also stumbled under pressure.
A Lim Kim, who began the day tied for second, birdied the opening hole to reach 6 under, but then unraveled with a disastrous stretch — bogey at No. 2, double at No. 3, triple at No. 4, and another bogey at No. 5. She carded a 77.
Jinhee Im and Yealimi Noh also fell out of contention with triple and double bogeys early in their rounds, finishing with 79 and 75, respectively.
Meanwhile, Nelly Korda overcame a shaky front nine — four bogeys and no birdies — with three birdies in her final five holes, salvaging a 73 and keeping herself within striking distance.
“This course demands so much,” Korda said. “You can be a few feet off and suddenly face a 40-foot chip instead of a tap-in. It’s about managing your mistakes and knowing there’s always a chance to bounce back.”
With just one round to go, the U.S. Women’s Open remains wide open — and Erin Hills is showing no mercy.
