‘Don’t try to be Tiger Woods’ – Maja Stark reveals advice from coach before securing card on LPGA Tour

Maja Stark secured a place on the PGA Tour with victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational, and the winning formula was “don’t try to be Tiger Woods”.

Stark is one of the brightest talents in golf, and was a four-time winner on the Ladies European Tour prior to her arrival in Northern Ireland for the ISPS Handa World Invitational.

The laser-focused 22-year-old was well aware it was a co-sanctioned event with the LPGA Tour, and that victory would guarantee her an invite to play on the biggest tour in women’s golf.

Stark’s idol is the legendary Tiger Woods and she has modelled her game on the 15-time major winner.

Woods was a serial winner, in a way Stark is becoming, but she deviated from her plan of being Tiger in Northern Ireland.

“My coach said don’t try to be Tiger Woods, just try to be you,” Stark said following her impressive win.

“I did not expect this at all. If you told me a year ago that I would have a win on the LPGA, I would not have believed it.”

Stark now has a decision to make. Victory earns her an invite to the LPGA Tour. She can choose to move over immediately, defer her rookie season to the start of next season, or not move at all and remain in Europe to develop her game.

Stark would not be drawn in the hours after the event, but her reaction suggested it would boil down to option one or two.