Watching Maja Stark win the US Women’s Open was fantastic, another great feather in the cap for European women’s golf and there was no better person to spray champagne over the 25-year-old than fellow Swede and Maja’s close friend Linn Grant.

 I’ve got to admit, I only caught the last six holes of Maja’s final round, and while her golf was seriously impressive, especially the way she handled the tough Erin Hills course (I didn’t envy those approach shots or the putts on those tricky greens), what I enjoyed most was watching the dynamic between Maja and her caddie, Scotsman Jeff Brighton.

When you’re on track to win your first LPGA title, and it just happens to be a Major, you can’t underestimate the importance of a good caddie. That’s when they’re worth their weight in gold. Since turning pro in 2021, Maja’s worked with a few different caddies, including Emma Whitaker, LPGA Tour winner Sophie Gustafson, and Hadley Trenfield, but it was Jeff who helped steer her to this victory.

There was plenty of chatter and lots of easy smiles between them, even though Maja was probably churning inside, given the magnitude of what was on the line. You could hear Jeff reminding her, “Just keep your routine,” before every shot, and they definitely had their own routine going. On the par-4 17th, after a wayward tee shot, Jeff stood his ground, convincing Maja to play it safe and lay up further away from the green instead of going for a more aggressive and risky shot, which was her first instinct.

Watching his personality over those closing holes, I was not surprised when commentator Catriona Matthew explained that he has a background as a stand-up comedian. Apparently, he’s brought that same humour to life as a caddie, and it’s made him a popular figure on tour. Something tells me Jeff will be laughing all the way to the bank now, with a likely $240,000 share from Stark’s $2.4 million prize money.

I could’ve used someone like Jeff on the 17th at my home course last Saturday. Deep down, I knew I was just a bit too far back to clear the hedge with my second shot, and even if I did, it wasn’t like I’d gain much. But nope, I had to go for it… and yep, lost ball in the hedge!

I also couldn’t help but smile every time I teed up with my go-to pink castle tee peg, especially after single figure Carly Cummins wrote this piece for Golf Monthly about how it’s her go-to tee too because she can pop it into the ground at the perfect height for the golf ball to line up with the middle of her driver.

But a recent conversation made her wonder if it’s actually holding her back. At her level, should she be using a long white wooden tee so she can adjust the height and better control her ball flight and shot shape? As for me, I’m happily sticking with being amateurish!

 Alison Root 

Women's Editor 

Golf Monthly