Anna Nordqvist holds opening round lead at Shoprite LPGA Classic

Nordqvist, who captured the Bank of Hope Founders Cup earlier this year, made nine birdies Friday at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in New Jersey, including a stretch of seven birdies in nine holes early in her round. She made two bogeys Friday – on the par-5 3rd and the par-3 4th – but her 7-under-par 64 was still good enough for the first-round lead.

“Starting with birdie, birdie, birdie obviously was a great feeling this morning. I hit some really good shots, so I was just happy to get it going early and make the turn a couple under and then just keep it going from there,” said Nordqvist. “It’s just a place I really enjoy and it makes me happy to come back.”

India’s Aditi Ashok scored one-under-par 70 in he opening round with 4 birdies and 3 bogeys to tie at T28. And Sharmila Nicollet had a tough start in the first round with five-over-par 76. She joined the bunch who are in the risk of missing the cut if she couldn’t make it in second round at Stockton Seaview Golf Club.

Nordqvist is looking for the rare LPGA three-peat, as she’s won here at the Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by ACER the last two years. If she were to win, she’d become the first person on the LPGA Tour in 2017 to win more than once.

But Nordqvist admitted Friday she’s not trying to look too far ahead.

“I feel like I enjoy this place, but at the same time, I don’t feel like I have anything to prove here. I’m just trying to take it day-by-day. I’ve been playing good for a long time so I’m just trying to get everything to click at once,” she said. “I’m happy with my start and I’m looking forward to the rest.”

With one win under her belt already in 2017, and on the cusp of turning 30 (June 10th), Nordqvist is able to wax philosophically about her life on and of the Tour as she gets more comfortable with her surroundings as a professional golfer.

“This is my ninth year on Tour, so I feel like I’m getting a little more experience,” she explained. “The biggest difference this year is I’ve been happy on and off the course. I have fewer people around me so I’m just trying to do my own thing a little bit more.”

Chasing Nordqvist is one last name the LPGA Tour has become familiar with at the top of leaderboards – Jutanugarn – but the younger of the two.

With Ariya Jutanugarn taking the week off – but still with a strong opportunity to reach No.1 in the Rolex Rankings – it was younger sister Moriya who fired a 6-under-par 65 Friday and sits tied for second.

Moriya was bogey-free in her opening round Friday morning. She said it was key to go out in the morning wave prior to the wind picking up across the Jersey Shore.

“I think we had a pretty good advantage because playing this morning (wasn’t) too windy. Wind can make a difference on this golf course,” she said. “We got really lucky playing in the morning.”

With Lydia Ko in the midst of three weeks off, Ko will relinquish her spot as No.1 in the Rolex Rankings this week, even with Ariya not in the field. Ko, who has been No.1 for a total of 103 weeks in her career, will be bumped by Ariya only if So Yeon Ryu wins, finishes second (with up to three other players) or comes in third alone. Uncharacteristically, given Ryu’s sparkling start to 2017, she was 3-over-par Friday and sits tied for 99th.

Jennifer Song, Jenny Shin, and Jeong Eun Lee all matched Moriya’s 6-under total Friday. Song said she was able to execute well on her game plan.

“I took a lot of advantage of the par-5s. I think I made birdies on all of them. They were reachable, so I was very aggressive with my play,” she explained. “Overall I think I was able to do as I planned.”

Paula Creamer, In-Kyung Kim, and Pornanong Phatlum were one shot further back at 5-under.

Five players were at 4-under including Stacy Lewis and Morgan Pressel, while another seven golfers were at 3-under including Canadian Brooke Henderson, who will play in her homeland next week at the Manulife LPGA Classic.