Maja Stark got her second career win, and what a big victory it was. She grabbed the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open title by remaining extremely consistent; not once did the Swede go over par, and she managed to ward off a tough fightback from Nelly Korda. While Stark’s victory was the headline after the conclusion of the tournament, there were moments throughout the four days that also caught a lot of light.

From 100-foot rolls to the #1 getting roasted by her sister, the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open was packed with some amazing moments. And each one of them added more character to the major event before it concluded a few hours ago. We’re here to explore 5 of the best moments created at Erin Hills.

From one end of the green to the other

If you ever wanted to know how much a short flop shot at the 14th hole hurts someone, just ask Jin Young Ko. The 29-year-old landed her approach shot in the elevated rough to the right of the green on the par-4 14th hole in the first round. It might have seemed like any other ordinary mis-hit, and with 3 more strokes to play, it looked like Ko was in line to bag at least a birdie, if not more. The cup would have been only 70 feet away, and all the Korean needed was a shot with the help of the elevation to roll the ball close to the hole. That’s what she hit.

However, neither she nor anyone else could have judged how far it would go. After landing just outside the green, the ball picked up an incredible pace and rolled a long way from where she was planning. In fact, it might have travelled nearly 100 feet as it stopped just near the edge of the other side of the green. It took Jin Young Ko two more strokes to sink the ball, and she missed the opportunity to add another -1 to her final score. The fans reacted very strongly to her wedge shot as they stated she “got her just punishment” for the bad approach shot. Nevertheless, this set the stage for other golfers to play more cautiously on the hard surface with the quick rolling grass.

Charley Hull’s loud, silent protest against Lexi Thompson

Jin Young Ko’s fast-rolling wedge shot wasn’t the only shocker in the first round. The management of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open had decided to hold a popularity contest for the first couple of days by grouping up the fashionista, Charley Hull, the beloved Lexi Thompson, and the world #1, Nelly Korda, in the same group. If they were expecting some drama from the three, then they wouldn’t have been disappointed with Hull’s actions between the 8th and 9th holes on day 1.

The Englishwoman was the first to complete the par-4 on the 8th. With Korda also nearly done, she decided she didn’t want to wait for Thompson to finish the hole. Instead, she walked herself to the 9th hole tee and just sat down, relaxing on the grass. What followed was a very calculated and slow approach from the semi-retired golfer. After her excellent approach shot that landed 6 feet and 10 inches from the hole, she took a while to finish with a birdie. However, it was Hull’s silent protest against Thompson’s slow play that caught everyone’s attention. What’s even more shocking is that when the former was asked about the latter’s slow play, she responded, “It was tough. I’d rather watch a WNBA game.”

Nelly Korda gets tested by Jessica

In a post-round interview on Friday, Nelly Korda was asked multiple questions regarding the challenges she faced at Erin Hills. While all valid questions, what stood out in Nelly’s responses was that she had used one particular word on multiple occasions. The same was shared on Instagram as Golf Digest created a compilation of the press conference featuring all of Korda’s responses, and one of the questions asked by the reporter.

In total, the word ‘test’ was used 13 times throughout the interview, only once by the moderator, though. She referred to the ‘tests’ on the course and her game multiple times. In fact, nearly 80% of the ‘tests’ she used were combined with the word ‘game’ in multiple sentences. The comment section was packed with fans mocking Korda by asking her if the course tested every part of her game. Even Jessica Korda couldn’t hold back as she too dropped by in the comments section with a “Did everyone ask the same question? 😂” To be fair, we’re not sure if Nelly was speaking her heart or just reading an AI-generated script (We’re looking at you ChatGPT).

Lost your clubs? Use mine!

That is what Gabriela Ruffels probably told Amari Avery just before the latter’s second-round tee. Avery made her 2nd appearance in the U.S. Women’s Open this year after playing the major for the first time in 2023. Unfortunately, she had just come off a traumatic experience where her rented apartment was broken into. That prompted her and her boyfriend, Gavin Aurilia, to temporarily move into a hotel while they compete in golf tournaments.

After completing the first round, she saw off her partner as he was traveling to the venue of his event. That’s when the trouble began. The issue was, Aurilia and Avery sport identical golf bags. While heading out to play in a tournament, he picked the LPGA Tour star’s bag instead of his own. By the time Avery realized what her boyfriend had done, it was already too late. This could have very well ended her run in the 2025 U.S. Open.

Fortunately for her, though, she had someone she could rely on to have her back at Erin Hills. Apparently, Gabriela Ruffels and Avery are college-mates and good friends. They also share the same manager. During the second round of the event, Ruffels had already completed her 18 holes in the first half of the day, as she had started it early morning. Avery was scheduled to tee off mid-afternoon. Seeing what the latter was going through, the Australian decided to grant her friend her own golf bag. As both used TaylorMade golf clubs, it was easy for Amari Avery to play off her kit. While Gabriela didn’t get past the second round, thanks to her assistance, Avery was able to play on the weekend and finish a T45.

Welcome to the club, kid!

Winning the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open must have been an emotional moment for Maja Stark. We can’t imagine how overwhelmed she would have been after making that last putt. And she was not alone on the course as she celebrated her first major win. Fellow Swedish golfer Linn Grant was also behind the ropes watching her friend win. As the ball dropped, she rushed to the green with champagne, and they celebrated the Swede’s triumph in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open.

Only moments later, Stark received the biggest surprise on the course. She received a video call from her idol and one of the G.O.A.T.s of the LPGA Tour, Annika Sorenstam. In a video shared by the LPGA Tour on Instagram, you can see Stark talking to the Swedish legend while her ‘cheesehead’ caddie stands beside her. Despite all the disturbance, you can also hear Annika congratulating Maja for her huge win and welcoming her to the club of major winners. Over-driven with emotions, all the young golfer could say was, “I see why you wanted to do it (win the U.S. Women’s Open) so much.” It seems like Maja Stark now finally understands what it’s like to be a major winner.