Karine Icher opened the inaugural Swinging Skirts with a six-under par 66 to take a two-shot lead over five players after the first round.

She did not record a single bogey, making two birdies on the front nine and adding four more on the back side for her 34-32=66.  Icher is seeking her first win on the LPGA Tour. She has one top-10 finish this season and has earned $125,500.

Lydia Ko is technically the defending champion of this event. She won her first tournament as a professional last December at the Swinging Skirts Ladies Masters when it was held in Taiwan on the Korean Ladies Golf Tour.

Ko, even though just 17 years old and an LPGA Tour rookie, won twice on tour as an amateur and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world.

She also made six birdies in her round, but two bogeys left her two shots behind Icher at four-under par.

Ilhee Lee, Jenny Shin, Maria McBride and Dewi Claire Scheefel are tied with Ko for second place.

Stacy Lewis, Morgan Pressel, Christel Boeljon, Mo Martin and Hyo Joo Kim are just one more shot back at three-under par.

Lewis is seeking her seventh top-10 finish this season in eight starts. She is No. 3 in the world ranking and No. 3 in the Race to the CME Globe.

No. 2 ranked Suzann Pettersen is making her first start in over a month and fired a first round two-under par 70. Pettersen was forced to take some time away from the golf course due to a sore back.

Coming off her win in Hawaii, Michelle Wie posted a 72 and is in a large group at even-par. Wie attended nearby Stanford and is very familiar with the San Francisco area.

No. 1 on the Rolex Rankings, Inbee Park struggled to a one-over par 73 and is T-43 along with veteran Christie Kerr, after the first day.  

Karrie Webb is one more shot back at two-over par and T-63.

The Swinging Skirts is being played in the San Francisco area at Lake Merced Golf Club and can be viewed on the Golf Channel.