With her growing belly, Madelene Sagström is undeniably standing out in the starting field at the second major of the year in women's golf. The U.S. Open will be her fifth competition since she announced her pregnancy in March - and Sagström still feels she is competitive.
"If I didn't feel like I could make the cut, I wouldn't play. I think that's a reasonable goal to start with, and we'll take it from there. I played well in Tuesday's practice round, so you never know. The stamina is the toughest part," she told the LPGA Tour website.
Sagström has her husband Jack Clarke with her in California and on their Instagram account the couple pose with a small U.S. Open shirt for their future son.
"This is a cool experience that we can tell him about," she says.
"The priorities have changed a bit. Feeling good is the most important thing, but my love for the sport has also blossomed again. It's interesting. That your body changes so much without you having control over it has aroused a lot of curiosity in me."
Madelene Sagström begins her tenth U.S. Open at 4:29 p.m. on Thursday, local time in Sweden. A total of seven Swedes are participating in the major, with Maja Stark as the defending champion.
