Before the final two rounds, she parks on par (72-72). Not bad, but not where she wants to be in the battle for medals. Today's four bogeys disturbed. Up to leading Swiss Morgane Metraux - for the day six under par - it's eight strokes.
Chinese Yin Ruoning is second on seven under and Lydia Ko third, five under par.
The distance could have been greater considering the visit to the water on the 18th and final hole. Stark drove the ball well on the fairway and chose to go for the green with the second shot - and give herself a chance for a second eagle.
Had to drop
But the ball slipped past the green and took a dip in the water, near the bridge leading up to the clubhouse.
I had a six-iron in, apparently I should have hit a seven-iron. You play the hole almost like a par four, like the guys do. Now we were a bit between two clubs and didn't know how the wind would take the ball.
Stark had to go back, drop and smoothened out the approach. A short putt later and she saved a par five. She didn't regret the decision to try to reach the green on two shots.
No, you can't hesitate here. Yesterday it paid off. Now it was a bit too much with the wind and I got no spin.
More courage and patience
The feeling going forward?
I think I should be a bit more aggressive than I was today, dare to take the tighter lines and have a bit more patience in putting. I got a bit annoyed there in the middle when nothing went in, says Maja Stark.
Linn Grant had similar troubles here and there. She made three birdies during the first nine holes and sank a putt from 13 meters.
But also missed a lot. With one under par for the day, she is one over total and one stroke behind Stark.
It's ridiculously hard to read the greens. I think I hit so many putts I think will go one way and go completely the other way.
It takes a toll on you, that you feel bad. It's a mentally tough course, says Grant.
Most disappointed at Le Golf National: World number one Nelly Korda. She needed seven strokes to hole out on the last short hole and followed up with a bogey.
The Olympic Games winner from Tokyo lost five strokes on two holes and dropped from shared second to shared 12th place, two strokes better than Stark who shares 19th place.
Linn Grant is shared 22nd.
