Madelene Sagstrom is channeling major Amy Olson energy heading into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Like Olson, who famously teed it up at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open while six months pregnant, Sagstrom is taking on one of golf’s toughest stages under remarkably similar circumstances, and doing it with a big smile on her face.

“Said she feels great swinging a club,”

Golf Channel contributor Beth Ann Nichols reported on X.

Nichols also shared a clip of Sagstrom at the course, where the two-time LPGA winner smiled for the camera with one hand resting gently on her baby bump. She had first announced her pregnancy in March 2026 via Instagram, opening up about the challenges she had to face to compete during that period.

“Lessons learned from playing professional golf at 15 weeks pregnant. The body changes faaaast, going from having been feeling very good to pain and almost not being able to bend forward in a day wasn’t something I was prepared for,” she wrote as a caption to the post.

While she was not prepared back then, she looks to have trained her body to play the second major of the season at Riviera while being seven months pregnant. In fact, she plans to play in the Dow Championship 2026 and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2026, too, before taking a break from competitive golf to prepare for childbirth.

Behind the scenes, she has the support of her husband, Jack Clarke. He formerly caddied for the rising star Ludvig Aberg and currently carries the bag for the 9x LPGA winner Anna Nordqvist. The couple had met in 2018 when Clarke was caddying for Nordqvist, and the sparks apparently flew instantly between them. Here, the love for a shared sport has to be blamed, not Cupid!

They started dating after they met, and finally, on November 13, 2022, Clarke proposed to Madelene Sagstrom. They then tied the knot in early September 2024.

Sagstrom has won two LPGA Tour titles, the 2020 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio and the 2025 T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards. She has been a stalwart in the Solheim Cup events, representing the other side of the Atlantic in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2024.

This year, the Swedish star will be making her 10th appearance at the US Women’s Open 2026. Except for 2019, she has played every edition of the event since 2016, and her best finish came in 2018 (T17). She even has a chance to make history by making the weekend.

The American professional Brittany Lincicome had played in the 2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic while 7 months pregnant with her 2nd child. She finished 9-under par 204, tied for 6th, which was the best finish of the 8x LPGA Tour winner that season. Just like Sagstrom, she also participated in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2022 and the Pelican Women’s Championship 2022, but missed the cut at both events. Amy Olson had also missed the cut in 2023. So this allows Sagstrom to change that narrative at Riviera.

Whether she makes it there or not is for time to tell, but for now, golf fans are praising her commitment and passion.

Golf fans show support for Madelene Sagstrom’s major appearance

One fan reflected closely on Sagstorm’s situation. “I did this at 6 months with my oldest. Got a stern talking-to at the next checkup from my doc, who’d seen me with a trophy on Facebook. I really enjoyed playing through pregnancy, though. The body changes so much, and it helped me feel in tune with the changes and where the baby was as he grew,” she wrote. Drawing on a similar common experience, another fan said, “My wife’s golf swing was never better than her third trimester. 😂”

Medical experts generally consider golf safe for low-risk pregnancies. However, they do advise making adjustments, which the Swedish star would have probably done. She even acknowledged the changes to her game in her Instagram post about pregnancy. Former Epson Tour player Blair O’Neal also spoke about needing different club selections while playing during pregnancy.

“Well done, Madelene; the little one can brag that they took part in the US Open before they were even born,” wrote another fan. Although playful, this is a factual comment, as not many 7-month pregnant moms have competed at any LPGA event, let alone the US Women’s Open.

Some fans took a little humorous approach to the situation. “She looks ready to burst. One bad bunker shot and wham, “You’re a mom,” wrote one fan, while the other said, “Amazing. I’d like to see the boys on YouTube do this.”

While the comments were made in jest, they highlight the unique challenges faced by women golfers. They have to adjust their swings and handle pain, all while staying focused on the game.

Madelene Sagstrom is balancing preparations for motherhood with a schedule that still includes the U.S. Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship before stepping away. For many fans, that combination made her upcoming major appearance all the more impressive.