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Sports

Icher leads suspended Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

San Francisco, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Karine Icher carded a 6-under 66 on Thursday to grab the lead of the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic before play was suspended for darkness.

There was a two-hour fog delay prior to the start of the first round, which eventually caused the suspension.

"I think the strategy on this golf course is to stay short of the hole. It's a tough golf course, especially with the wind and temperature," said Icher. "You try to get to stay warm and try to catch the right wind and you go with it and make some putts."

Lydia Ko, Dewi Claire Schreefel, Ilhee Lee, Jenny Shin and Maria McBride shot matching 4-under 68s to share second place at Lake Merced Golf Club, while world No. 3 Stacy Lewis was among five players tied for seventh at 3-under 69.

Lewis was joined by Morgan Pressel, Christel Boeljon, Hyo Joo Kim and Mo Martin.

Carlota Ciganda had the best score of the 24 players left on the course when play was halted and was 2-under through 14 holes. Play will resume at 10 a.m. ET Friday.

Icher started on the back nine and quickly got on the board with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th.

After parring the next two holes, she converted birdie efforts at the 14th and 16th to make the turn at 4-under.

Icher added another gain at the second and later closed out he bogey-free round with a birdie at the ninth to reach 6-under and claim the clubhouse lead.

"It was just a good day," Icher said. "I'm happy about that. I stayed confident all through the round."

Ko, who was celebrating her 17th birthday, bogeyed the first, but got that shot right back with a birdie at the second.

She reached red numbers with a birdie at the sixth, and later rolled in back- to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th to move to 3-under. Ko added birdies at the 14th and 16th around a bogey at the 15th to finish at 4-under.

Lee posted four birdies during her bogey-free round, while Schreefel and Shin countered a lone bogey with five birdies to earn their share of second place.

McBride had seven birdies and three bogeys during her up-and-down round to also finish at 4-under.

NOTES: This event is co-sanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA ... Ko was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People on Thursday ... Icher is seeking her first career LPGA Tour victory.