THREE, INCLUDING TWO PAST CHAMPIONS, TIED FOR LEAD

Defending champ Anna Nordqvist is tied at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer with 2010 champion Ai Miyazato and South Africa’s Paula Reto. The trio is tied at 7-under par after shooting rounds of 64 at the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club.

Three players are tied for fourth and one shot back at 6-under par including two-time winner this season Haru Nomura, major champion Catriona Matthew and second-year Tour player Casey Grice. The leaderboard sits jammed at the top with 22 players within three shots of the lead including past champions Stacy Lewis (5-under 66) and Karrie Webb (4-under 67).

Nordqvist got off to a slow start on the back nine with bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes, her second and third of the day, but caught fire with nine birdies in her final 12 holes.

“I think it was just a little rust,” Nordqvist explained. “It was early in the morning; I’m not a morning person. But 11 and 12, they weren’t really bad shots, but they just ended up in places you really couldn’t want to be. I just kept my head high and started giving myself better chances.”

She finished strong with four consecutive birdies in her last four holes. Her round of 64 is her career low round at the Bay Course and her low round of the 2016 season. The five-time LPGA Tour winner is trying to complete her first successful title defense.

“It’s been a great week and I seem to have a lot of support here and a lot of people have been cheering me on,” said Nordqvist. “It’s great to see. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd this big, especially not on a Friday here.”

Both Miyazato and Reto climbed into a share of the lead late in the afternoon wave and were paired together. Reto used a round with eight birdies and one bogey to grab a share of the first-round lead for the first time in her career. Her round of 64 ties her career-low round which she previously posted in the second round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year.

“I’m really excited,” said Reto. “I played good today, steady, especially with irons and putting, but not so much off the tee. So I got away with a couple of the shots. I told myself, one shot at a time, don’t focus and doubt yourself. Everything paid off and I’m really happy and I’m excited to come back out tomorrow morning.”

Miyazato had six birdies, an eagle and a bogey in her opening round 64 which marks her lowest round of the season and lowest round since she shot 64 in the second round of the 2013 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

“Yeah, I feel good,” Miyazato said after her round. “But since the beginning of this year, my game was in good shape and all I can do is just to be patient. But finally I could see some like momentum in my score.”

ANNA NORDQVIST - LOWEST CAREER ROUNDS

YEAR	SCORE (RD)	TOURNAMENT
2013	61 (3rd)	Mobile Bay LPGA Classic
2013	63 (3rd)	Safeway Classic
2016	64 (1st)	ShopRite LPGA Classic
2015	64 (4th)	JTBC Founders Cup
2014	64 (2nd)	Manulife Financial LPGA Classic
2014	64 (2nd)	Handa Australian Open
2013	64 (2nd)	Manulife Financial LPGA Classic
2012	64 (1st)	Manulife Financial LPGA Classic

POWER PAIRING

Co-leaders Ai Miyazato and Paula Reto seemed to feed off of one another as they battled back and forth all day on Friday, resulting in a shared lead with defending champion Anna Nordqvist after 18 holes of play.

“First time playing with her in a tournament actually but she’s a really nice girl and she hits it really long,” said Miyazato. “But I don’t know, it was a good atmosphere. Just a good chemistry I guess, so looking forward to playing with her tomorrow again.”

Reto echoed the former No. 1 ranked player in the world and mentioned that Miyazato’s stellar play made her get more aggressive and try to hit her approach shots closer to the pin.

“I felt like one hole she birdies and the next hole I birdie and just back and forth,” said Reto. “It was really fun. She’s a good player, good putter.”

Miyazato’s pure putting was on full display in the first round, most notably on her third hole of the day as she saw a 45-foot eagle putt bounce up and in the cup.

“Yeah, that was actually lucky that I hit it pretty firm, and I saw like it jumped in the cup,” said Miyazato.

JUMP STARTED

Stacy Lewis has been a slow starter to open the 2016 season and knows that her opening-round 66 this week will definitely help her first-round scoring average. Before today, her first-round scoring average was 72.18 and lowest first-round score was 70, which she shot on two occasions this year.

“I think I’ve improved my first round scoring average,” said Lewis. “A little bit frustrating because I left some out there, but like I said, I think that’s the best first round I’ve had all year. So first round’s kind of been my thing and to get off to a good start is a really good thing.”

Lewis had a bogey-free round with five birdies and sits just two shots off the lead at 5-under par. She said she’s not exactly sure why the slowing starting trend has been happening but she hopes that today will snap it.

“You get in trends sometimes where sometimes you get off -- you get on a streak where you get off to fast starts and sometimes you get off to slow starts and maybe a round like this will break the trend a little bit,” said Lewis.

Lewis knows the importance of getting off to a quick start in a three-day event. In her first win here in 2012 she shot and opening-round 65 and in her second victory she shot a first-round 67.

“That’s why I think I’ve won here the last -- once or twice, because I’ve gotten off to good starts with both of them,” said Lewis. “It’s a shootout. Especially as soft as the greens are and the course this year, there’s a bunch of low scores, and it’s going to be a shootout at the end of the week.”

GOING LOW

Casey Grice was one lip-out putt on No. 18 away from shooting 29 on the back nine in the first round. Grice, who graduated to the LPGA Tour after finishing ninth in the Epson Tour’s 2015 Volvik Race for the Card, finds herself near the top of the leaderboard after shooting a 6-under 65 on Friday.

“It’s awesome,” said Grice, who held the clubhouse lead at the point of her finish. “I’ve had one other experience with that so far this year, so kind of look back to that and just enjoy the moment.

The University of North Carolina graduate has only made it beyond the cut in 5-of-11 starts in 2016, recording her best finish just over a month ago at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout (T33). She will attempt to maintain her strong form playing in the afternoon wave on Saturday.

“I love the golf course,” Grice added. “It’s been pretty views of the bay over there, so it’s a fun course. Definitely scoreable with the wind not picking up too much quite yet -- in the afternoon, we’ll see where it goes but it’s a great track.”

OF NOTE

Ai Miyazato was elevated to No. 1 in the world after her win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 2010; she held the No. 1 ranking for twelve weeks in her career
Stacy Lewis’ round of 66 was her lowest first-round score of the season by four strokes
76 players broke par on Friday
Meena Lee withdrew after nine holes and Ashlan Ramsey withdrew after 12 holes, both due to a back injuries.

TV TIMES THIS WEEK FO SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER
Golf Channel
June 4 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
June 5 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
All times listed are Eastern

ShopRite LPGA Classic Opening Round News & Notes

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