Linda Lundqvist and amateur Nora Sundberg hold a one-shot lead after day one in their homeland.
Both Swedes fired a five-under-par 68 in the first round at Söderby Golf to sit at the top of the leaderboard.
Lundqvist, who started her season with a top-10 finish at the AMUNDI Czech Ladies Open, showed off her skills on the back nine after making the turn in a level par 37.
The 24-year-old rookie then rolled in five birdies on the back nine to shoot her lowest round on LETAS and tie the lead with her fellow Swede.
She said: “It felt good to play at home with my dad on the bag and mom and my grandparents watching! It’s always nice with some extra support. I would say that my putting was my strongest part of my game today. I managed to get closer to the pins on the back nine which resulted in more birdies.”
Sundberg fired the same round of five-under 68 in her second start in this event. The amateur began her round with four birdies in a row and then added four more birdies and three bogeys throughout her round.
“I was nervous and excited to play this event. There are many international professionals this week which makes it even more challenging and exiting. The strongest part of my game today was my putting. I also hit my driver very well and I managed to be in a good position on every hole,” she said.
“I believe I found my game on the second hole after the tee shot. Making birdie on the first hole was a relief and I do believe that after my tee shot on the second hole, I ended up in the so called ‘zone’ where my game just started to come together.”
Another Swedish amateur Kajsa Arwejall is one stroke behind after shooting a solid round of 69 (-4) on day one.
Arwejall had a great start to the tournament with three birdies on the front nine and an eagle on the par-five 14th.
She commented: “I love competing so competing in a pro event on home soil is always fun, especially when I have my dad/coach on the bag. I played very solid today, hit a lot of fairways and 16 greens. My driver was straight which put me in good positions to go for pins. I did not make a lot of putts, but I did make an 11-metre put on 14th for eagle which was fun. I’m looking forward to go out there tomorrow again on the beautiful course!”
The leaderboard sees nine Swedish golfers in top-12 after day one with defending champion, amateur Linn Grant, in T4 alongside fellow Swede Ellinor Haag after both shot rounds of 70 (-3).
England’s Lily May Humphreys, French amateur Charlotte Liautier and Swiss amateur Elena Moosmann are also in the mix after shooting rounds of 71 (-2) to be tied for sixth place.
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