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Julio Cesar Valdera Morales is a Newsweek contributor based in Spain. His focus is golf as well as politics and economics. Julio has been with Newsweek since February, 2025 and previously practiced law. Julio earned his Masters Degree at the University of Havana. You can get in touch with Julio by emailing j.morales@newsweek.com.
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales
Contributing Sports Writer
news article
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Things can change a lot from one week to the next in professional golf, even more so when it comes to major championships. Newly crowned US Women’s Open champion Maja Stark experienced this firsthand during the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The Swede, who dominated at Erin Hills with an impressive putting performance, was far from her previous showing at PGA Frisco. In fact, Stark was so frustrated with her poor work on the green that she took it out on her flat stick.
Golfweek reported that the two-time LPGA Tour winner broke her putter during the fourth round in a fit of helplessness. Several videos subsequently went viral showing her putting with a wedge, which apparently didn’t help her much.
🚨😵❌ #WATCH — Maja Stark BREAKS her putter head in frustration forcing the major champion to putt with her wedge during the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA. pic.twitter.com/0KUC1AXf8l
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 22, 2025
Stark finished the fourth round with a horrendous 38 putts, averaging 2.1 putts per hole. This was the trend throughout the tournament, as her putting total over the four rounds was 128, or 32 putts per round and 1.7 putts per hole.
Only in the second round did Stark achieve positive numbers, needing only 27 putts, an average of 1.5 per hole.
Not surprisingly, Friday was the only day the Swede posted a score under par (70). The same didn’t happen on the first day (she carded at 75) or over the weekend (she carded a 77 and a 78).
This performance keeps her tied for 47th place at 12 under par, with the final round still to be completed.
Maja Stark of Sweden looks over a putt on the sixth hole during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 21, 2025 in…
Maja Stark of Sweden looks over a putt on the sixth hole during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 21, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
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Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Currently, Maja Stark is ranked 151st out of 158 LPGA Tour players in putting. She averages 31.21 putts per round (874 putts in 28 rounds), and her round with the fewest putts was 25.
Stark makes up for her putting with her work off the tee. She has gained 0.60 strokes off the tee this season and is currently ranked 14th on the LPGA Tour. Her average driving distance is 267.25 yards, ranking her 57th on the tour.
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