Holmqvist carded a one-under-par round of 70 with four birdies and three bogeys in this first women's Major of the year which is being played without any spectators. 

The best finish at a Major Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) for the 32-year-old was a 28th place finish at the 2018 Women’s PGA Championships.

She now leads the Women’s British Open after being only one of seven players to achieve an under-par round on a day of strong winds and heavy rain.

"I grew up playing the British Am, and also played the Scottish Women’s Open Amateur Championship at this course, only one round at this course, though, but at the property," Holmqvist said.

 "This setting and weather is different, very different, but I enjoy it."

Holmqvist, whose father Hans was a professional footballer and who played 27 times for Sweden, added that she has used the coronavirus enforced break in the season to help recover from a two-year-old back injury, sustained after a golf cart crash in China in 2018.

Holmqvist made headlines in 2013 after being bitten by a redback spider at the Women’s Australian Open, where she used a tee to pierce her skin and squeeze out the venom, before completing her round.

She lies a shot clear of the United States’ Austin Ernst and Germany’s Sophia Popov, who are even for the tournament.

New Zealand's Lydia Ko, a two-time Major champion, sits at one over.

Ko is one of five players to be two shots off the lead, including Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, America's Lindsey Weaver, Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura and Australia’s Lee Minjee.

The conditions contributed to overnight leader Amy Olson ending 10-over-par for her round, the American dropping to six-over-par for the tournament.