Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist got off to a hot start in her bid for a third straight LPGA ShopRite Classic crown on Friday with a seven-under-par 64.
Nordqvist birdied her first three holes at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey, and finished the day with a one-stroke lead over South Koreans Lee Jeong-eun and Jenny Shin, Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and Jennifer Song of the US.
“Starting with birdie, birdie, birdie obviously was a great feeling this morning,” Nordqvist said.
Photo: AFP
“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,” she said.
“I hit the ball really well today and got a few putts going early, and then kept hitting my wedges really well,” the 29-year-old said after a round that included nine birdies and two bogeys. “Lowest round I’ve had in a while, so definitely makes for a sweet afternoon.”
Nordqvist is enjoying a solid season, with one victory already.
“The biggest difference this year is I’ve been happy on and off the course,” Nordqvist said. “I have fewer people around me and so I am just trying to do my own thing a little bit more.”
With a change at the top of the world rankings looming today, South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon made little headway to make sure she is the one to supplant world No. 1 Lydia Ko at the end of the tournament.
According to LPGA projections, Ko’s reign will end this week with either Ryu or Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn taking over. Neither Ko nor Ariya are playing this week.
World No. 3 Ryu, who needs to finish at least third to have a chance to reach No. 1, opened with a three-over 74.
Min Lee was in a share of 21st to be the best-placed of the Taiwanese. She was two-under-par after a 69.
Wei-Ling Hsu (with a round of 72), Candie Kung (73), Chien Pei-yun and Yani Tseng (74), and Cheng Ssu-chia (77) were the others.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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