The Swede Maja Stark, untouchable at -12, won the Lalla Meryem Cup in Rabat ahead of her compatriot Linn Grant, 2nd at -8, and the Indian Aditi Ashok, 3rd at -7. The French Nadaud, Mora, Sauzon and Grechi very combative in the 3rd final round!

Maja Stark of Sweden, winner of the Lalla Meryem Cup, at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco. Credit: Tristan Jones/ LET

They are two, they are Swedish and they know where they want to go during this 2023 season of the Ladies European Tour: straight to a selection in the European Solheim Cup team. Which will be held from September 18 to 24 at Finca Cortesin, Andalusia. Maja Stark, wide winner at -12, and Linn Grant, his runner-up at -8 in the classification of this 26th Lalla Meryem Cup, clearly announce the color.

Impossible to prevent them from achieving the double, this Saturday on the Blue course of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. Even the Indian Aditi Ashok, winner of the first European stage of the season, at the beginning of February at the Magical Kenya Open, could not do anything to prevent the triumph of those who have already dominated the circuit in 2022: Linn Grant number 1 European and Maja Stark European number 2. We seem to be on our way to a remake!

Good friends, in addition, the "Swedish girls". Because if Grant, with a final card of 68 (-5) fought like a lioness (from the Atlas!) to come back on her compatriot in the third final round, it is with enthusiasm that, her defeat noted, she went to generously sprinkle Stark with mineral water, champagne style, to celebrate the large victory of her compatriot.

With a final card of 69 and therefore, after three laps, four strokes ahead of Linn Grant, Maja Stark was unreachable anyway. At 23, Maja la Belle signed nothing less than her sixth victory on the LET, one of which was won in a tournament, the ISPS Handa World International, which was co-sanctioned by the LET and the LPGA Tour.

This overwhelming victory for Stark at the Lalla Meryem Cup ($67 in prize money this Saturday) comes three weeks after his super performance on January 500 on the LPGA Tour: 22nd at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Lake Nona, Florida ( $2). And this, on the heels of the Canadian Brooke M. Henderson, multiple winner of Majors, including the Évian Championship 275!

Beyond the positive on the personal finances of the Swede, this smashing start to the season in the United States shows that Maja Stark can become a world size. Enough to enhance more than ever the field of players of the Moroccan tournament, which has seen - and won - some very great players since 1993: Laura Davies, Sophie Gustafson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Charley Hull, as well as the French Marie-Laure de Lorenzi, Marine Monnet and Gwladys Nocera.

Lalla Meryem Cup: Stark Superstar

Nastasia Nadaud of France – Lacoste Ladies Open De France, Credit: Tristan Jones/LET

For the Tricolores present at this 26th Lalla Meryem Cup, it is also a great opportunity to see that, over at least one lap, a par 73 moreover, they are able to compete with players of this caliber, who are in no longer very experienced and especially in the knife fight between them!

In the third final round, Linn Grant played 68 (-5) and Maja Stark 69 (-4)… That is to say that four of the six French players involved were combative, after the first two days when they were not really in top of the leaderboard. Emma Grechi for example played 69, like Stark, returning 31st in the final at +4, despite a tough second round (79!) which brought her close to elimination (cut at +8).

As for the trio of tied 28ths, that is to say the young Savoyard Nastasia Nadaud (card of 72 to complete what was her first LET tournament as a professional!), Anne-Charlotte Mora (70) and Agathe Sauzon ( 70), they really lived up to the best by lighting up all red on the Blue course of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam during this closing round. To meditate !

Nathalie Vion

See the final ranking here

See previous article here

Hassan II Trophy and Lalla Meryem Cup: D-Day!