In 2021, Maja Stark was gaining her footing as a young professional. After winning her first two Ladies European Tour titles in less than a month, Stark was ready to take on Stage II of LPGA Q-School in late October, where she hoped to earn her way onto her ultimate goal, the LPGA Tour. But a 291 four-day score and tie for 85th wasn’t enough to move the young Swede onto LPGA Q-Series, the Tour’s final qualifying round, and a disappointed yet eager Stark used it as motivation heading into the 2022 golf season. She went on to add two more wins on the LET – at the Women’s NSW Open and Amundi German Masters – as she headed into this week’s ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics. To add more fuel to the fire, she was determined to rebound off a final-round 79 (+8) from the AIG Women’s Open, knowing her chance in Northern Ireland it was one of few opportunities to outright gain an LPGA Tour card.
And that she did.
Stark has officially beat our qualifying for the Tour in the best way possible, by earning her first official title and accepting immediate LPGA Tour Membership.
“I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time. It's just been so frustrating when you feel like maybe you could play there, but it feels like the road is so long and you have to go through the Q-School and that's -- I mean, if you have a bad week you're out, and then you got to wait another year,” said Stark. “So it's really nice to just skip that part and just go ahead to, yeah, the fun stuff.”
The 22-year-old now can play out the rest of the year on the LPGA Tour as the season’s 33rd rookie, and the seventh Rolex First-Time Winner of 2022. Her 500 Race to the CME Globe points become official as well as her winnings, $225,000, which was equal on both the men’s and women’s draw this week. But for now, she’ll celebrate.
“I haven't even processed it. I just went out and played a round of golf and now I'm here,” said Stark. “Yes, great timing.”
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