Karine Icher of France posted a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 to lead five players by two shots after the first round of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco.
Darkness halted play with several players still on the course after the start was delayed for two hours by fog.
The 35-year-old Icher, who has won five times on the Ladies European Tour but is winless on the LPGA Tour, started at No. 10 and carded four birdies on the back nine before adding two on the back, including a five-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole.
Icher said she and her husband-caddie, Fred, determined that the best way to play Lake Merced is to stay below the hole.
Morgan Pressel had four birdies in her first eight holes en route to a 69 and was tied for seventh with Stacy Lewis, Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands, Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea and Mo Martin of Pasadena and UCLA.
Suzann Pettersen of Norway, ranked second in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and playing for the first time in more than a month after recovering from a back injury, was tied for 12th at 70 despite a triple-bogey 7 on the 11th hole..
