Annika Sorenstam made a strong start at the Scandinavian TPC, a tournament she hosts on the Women's European Tour.
The world number two shot a six-under-par 66 in wet conditions to lead by one from England's Johanna Head and Italy's Anna Rossi at Frsker Golf & Country Club in Vsters.
The 37-year-old, who will quit tournament golf at the end of the year, is playing her last event in her native Sweden.
She gave the home galleries reason to cheer with six birdies on the front nine, which she played as her inward half.
After opening with 10 regulation pars, she stepped up a gear with four birdies in a row from the par four second hole.
After knocking in another at the par-five eighth, she chipped in for a final-hole birdie at the ninth, a tough par-three which plays from an elevated tee.
Head, who bases herself in Orlando, Florida, posted f holes, missing the green on 17 and then hitting her drive into the water on the par-four 18th.
She said: "It was a good score because of the rain - it was quite tough.
"I was a little bit disappointed as I was seven-under and bogeyed the last two holes.
"I finished the front nine at five under and then it started raining quite heavily on the back nine."
Head was hoping to spend some time with her twin sister Samantha over the four weeks she is spending in Europe, but the latter had to withdraw from this week's event due to tonsilitis.
Collated first-round scores (Swe unless stated, par 72):
66 Annika Sorenstam
67 Anna Rossi (Ita), Johanna Head
69 Paula Marti (Spa), Lydia Hall, Jill McGill (USA), Nathalie Mansson, Sarah Nicholson (Nzl)
70 Lora Fairclough, Hanna Salonen (Fin), Lotta Maria Wahlin, Dana Lacey (Aus), Louise Friberg, Ana-Belen Sanchez (Spa), Amy Yang (USA)
71 Jenni Kuosa (Fin), Tania Elosegui (Spa), Lee-Anne Pace (USA), Nina Reis, Beth Allen (USA), Julie Tvede (Den), Lill Saether (Nor), Marta Prieto (Spa), Zuzana Kamasova (Svk), Anna Nordqvist (USA), Pernilla Lindberg, Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha), Clare Queen
72 Antonella Cvitan, Charlotta Sorenstam, Maria Hjorth, Nicole Gergely (Aut), Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned), Elisabeth Esterl (Ger), Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Leah Hart (Aus), Emma Zackrisson, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus), Carmen Alonso (Spa)
73 Laurette Maritz (Rsa), Sophie Sandolo (Ita), Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa), Vicky Hermina Thomas (Aus), Elin Ohlsson, Lynn Kenny, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den), Denise Becker (Ger), Eva Steinberger (Aut), Karen Lunn (Aus), Cherie Byrnes (Aus), Laura Terebey (USA), Rebecca Coakley, Julie Greciet (Fra), Maria Boden, Louise Stahle, Liselotte Neumann, Nathalie David-Mila (Fra), Caroline Hedwall, Cecillia Ekelundh, Anna Knutsson
74 Linda Wessberg, Minea Blomqvist (Fin), Jade Schaeffer (Fra), Nikki Garrett (Aus), Nora Angehrn (Swi), Florence Luscher (Swi), Lena Kirstina Viola Tornevall, Sophie Walker, Martina Gillen, Georgina Simpson, Anna Tybring, Johanna Westerberg, Margherita Rigon (Ita), Valerie Michaud (Fra)
75 Mianne Bagger (Den), Lara Tadiotto (Bel), Isabella Maconi (Ita), Federica Piovano (Ita), Rui Yokomine (Jpn), Kiran Matharu, Kirsty S Taylor, Camille Fallay (Fra), Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa), Stefania Croce (Ita), Jacqueline Hedwall, Jehanne Jail (Fra), Ludivine Kreutz (Fra), Cassandra Kirkland (Fra)
76 Liza Aileen Shervill, Lisa Sorensen (Den), Kate Combes (Aus), Ellen Smets (Bel), Stefanie Michl (Aut), Christine Hallstrom, Sophie Gustafson, Joanne Clingan
77 Asa Gottmo, Anja Monke (Ger), Sandra Carlborg, Jenna Wilson, Natascha Fink (Aut), Emelie Lind, Karin Inga Borjeskog, Camilla Lennarth
78 Vittoria Valvassori (Ita), Karen-Margreth Juul (Den), Mette Buus (Den), Claire Coughlan, Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor), Kristie Smith (Aus), Elizabeth McKinnon
79 Caroline Afonso (Fra), Felicity Johnson, Bettina Hauert (Ger), Sofia Renell, Ana Larreneta (Spa), Linn Gustavson
80 Frederique Seeholzer (Swi), Danielle Montgomery, Anne Hansen (Den), Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin)
81 Sofia Johansson, Kirsty Fisher
82 Wendy Berger (Aus), Katharina Schallenberg (Ger)
83 Julie Berton (Fra)
85 Frances Bondad (Aus), Bree Turnbull (Aus)
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