Under clear skies, Dani Holmqvist alone atop the leaderboard after first round of ShopRite LPGA Classic

GALLOWAY, N.J. — For Anna Nordqvist, the ShopRite LPGA Classic represents happy memories.

She’s back this year hoping to make more.

Nordqvist, a three-time LPGA major winner who won the classic in 2016 and ‘19, finished tied for fourth after the first round Friday at the Bay Course at Seaview Golf Club. She carded a bogey-free round and finished 5-under 66.

“Overall, I felt like I gave myself a lot of good chances,” the Swedish golfer said. “Couple funky bounces, but that’s usually expected out here. Good speed control on the greens, and it was really nice to finish with the birdie on the last.”

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Dani Holmqvist nabbed the low round of the day, finishing with five birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round of 64.

Holmqvist, also from Sweden, is a 35-year-old tour veteran who has one top-10 finish in a career that began in 2014.

“Some weeks you’re better than others, and some weeks you feel like you’re losing,” she said. “So it’s fun to actually come up on top for once. This game is tough, and you’ve just got to cherish the moments when you actually put together a good one.”

She hit just nine of 14 fairways in regulation but hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation.

Sarah Schmelzel, 29, was among those tied for fourth, the lowest-scoring American in the field. Schmelzel birdied three of her first six holes as well as the 18th to finish 5-under 66.

“Overall it was pretty steady,” she said. “I didn’t really let anything get away from me, so it was exciting to see some of the hard work from this prep and weeks prior kind of starting to pay off a little bit.”

Veteran golfer Jenny Shin took advantage of docile weather conditions Friday morning at the 54-hole tournament, carding a blemish-free first round to finish tied for second.

“Felt great,” Shin told reporters after her round. “Bogey-free rounds are always very happy rounds.”

Shin’s 6-under 65 included hitting 12 of 14 fairways en route to six birdies. The 30-year-old with one LPGA tour victory said the conditions were in her favor early.

“No wind helped,” she said. “You know, having that fresh green in the morning helped a lot. ... I was able to tell in the last five holes they were getting real bumpy.

“Three-day event. First day is pretty crucial, and I think I did that part right. Tomorrow is going to be a battle with the wind, so nothing changes. Going to keep everything pretty simple. Yeah, I mean, it’s still 36 holes. Long way to go.”

In contrast to Shin’s steady day, Yan Liu carded an eventful 65, finishing with three bogeys mixed with two eagles and five birdies. The 25-year-old finished ninth on the Epson Tour money list last year to earn LPGA membership. She has one career win at the 2019 EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open.

Despite the relatively calm conditions, the plume of smoke emanating from the Canadian wildfires that have disrupted sporting events along the East Coast did not appear much of a factor. The tournament’s pro-am was cut short Thursday because of air quality concerns.

Also tied for fourth is Korea’s Soo Bin Joo, a 19-year-old rookie who earned her membership after finishing 34th at last year’s LPGA Q-series. On Friday she finished with four birdies, a bogey, and an eagle, which she felt gave her momentum heading into the back nine.

“Yeah, to be honest,” she said, “I was, like, so high because like everyone was cheering me, and all the Korean fans were out there. I was so excited. I just wanted to stay really calm, but I just wanted to keep up with that eagle energy. And I think that worked on the back nine.”

Paula Reto and Georgia Hall rounded out the logjam in fourth place.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson faltered late Friday, closing the round with a double bogey to finish tied for 25th at finish 2-under par. The 13-time LPGA tour winner beat Lindsey Weaver-Wright in a playoff last year, shooting a 64 on the final day.

Atthaya Thitikul, the 20-year-old sensation from Thailand, overcame two hiccups late in her round to finish tied for 13th at 3-under par.

Thitikul, the betting favorite to win the event, finished with five birdies and two bogeys.

Two other Americans are in the top 15 after the first round. Lauren Hartlage, a 25-year-old in her second year on tour, finished the first round 4-under par, good for a tie for ninth place. Sophia Schubert, 27, finished tied for 13th place after a 3-under-par performance with five birdies and two bogeys.