(Ep 115) Maja Stark

In another Chasing Pars player exclusive interview sponsored by Golf Tips Checker I was absolutely delighted to be joined by 1x LPGA Tour winner, 5x Ladies European Tour winner & 2023 Solheim Cup star Maja Stark who becomes my 25th Professional Player interview.

 

In this brilliant episode with Maja we find out about her background growing up in the village of Abbekås in Sweden growing up with an older brother they would play competitively in most things against each other. We find out that Maja was in the same year & went to the same school as none other than Ludvig Åberg & Linn Grant while Madelene Sagstrom was also at the same school in Helsingborg. Craig asks some quick fire questions to find out more about Maja with a nice little discussion on ABBA (Why Not?). It was at the age of 15 where Maja would start to get noticed by Top Swedish Coaches & managed to get into university at Oklahoma State University where she was a First Team All American & won 2021 Big 12 Championship with Oklahoma State. Other Amateur accolades include being on the 2017 Junior Solheim Cup Team for Europe, Winning the European Girls Amateur Team Champs with Sweden, winning European Amateur Team Champs 3 times with Sweden & being a part of the successful International side at 2020 Palmer Cup at Bay Hill. 

 

Maja turned Professional in 2021 & since then she's been relentless when it comes to getting wins with 6 wins in a 2 year spell on LET Tour & which includes the win in 2022 at the Co-sanctioned ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle which would help secure full LPGA Tour status. 2023 was a decent year for Maja with T2nd at Tournament of Champions in the opening event & T4th at both Honda LPGA Thailand & Women's Scottish Open events. Maja would win Lalla Meryem Cup on the LET beating Linn Grant by 4 shots & would also get to play in her first Solheim Cup for Team Europe at Finca Cortesin contributing to 2 & a half points for Europe on Debut. An experience that Maja says she will never forget.

As Tournament of Champs starts up next week I ask Maja about her goals going forward for 2024 with making back to back Solheim Cup teams the top of her list along with the Majors. We mention about Maja & Linn's friendship but eagerness to beat each other every time on the Golf course & we also talk late about what to expect from WAGR number 1 Ingrid Lindblad and what the future holds for Ingrid when she does finally turn pro.

It was amazing to speak to one of the best players in the world again & to try and process what goals they try to achieve & what obstacles they have to overcome to achieve them. Maja was a lovely person with an even better Golf game & is a future Major Champion in waiting! 

 

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