FRENCH PLAYER SETS PACE IN FIRST LPGA MAJOR

France's Karine Icher sets early pace with a 67 in first LPGA Major of 2017

RANCHO MIRAGE, California – Every yard makes a difference.

An extra five yards Karine Icher from France picked up this season helped her take the early lead on day one of the ANA Inspiration, the first women's major of 2017.

Icher posted a five-under par, 67 to lead by one. Michelle Wie, So Yeon Ryu, Sung Hyun Park and amateur Eun Jeong Seong sit in a share of second at four-under par after the morning wave of the season's first major.

Icher joined the Tour in 2003 but is still in the hunt for her first victory on the LPGA Tour - she owns 43 career top-10s.

"I'm probably the player with the most top 10s without winning, so I'm used to it," Icher told the media. "I'm going to keep focused and keep my game on and try to sink some putts, and we'll see from there."

It was her putting that Icher told LPGA.com was the key to her low round on Thursday, making it around in just 27 putts.

"I'm an accurate player, so I just aim for the fairway and then for the green," said Icher. "I try to work on putting to put more putts in. That's the secret. If you have good putting, you score well."

Click here for current scores from round one of the 2017 ANA Inspiration.