RANCHO MIRAGE, CA – Friday, Cristie Kerr and Caroline Masson joined Karine Icher at the top of the leaderboard at the ANA Inspiration. Kerr an Masson returned to Mission Hills on Friday to complete their first round after play was suspended for the day on Thursday afternoon due to high winds. The second round began at 11:30 a.m. PT after extensive clean-up was required around the course, including the removal of several downed trees.
Icher went out in the morning wave on Thursday, avoiding the high winds in the afternoon and took the early lead at five-under par. Kerr and Masson returned to the course Friday morning to complete the first round. Kerr held the outright lead last week at the Kia Classic where she finished fourth for the week, but took away a lot of positives as she continues to work towards simplifying her swing. She carded an opening round, four-under par, 68.
“I've played this tournament so many times that it has, you should not put extra pressure on yourself, because the people that do inevitably never win,” Kerr said. “It's very early in the tournament. I'm super happy with my first round and I've just got to take it day by day.”
Masson, who also sits at five-under par, was happy to come back and finish her round on Friday.
“It was getting obviously windier hole by hole, but overall it was still fair until the last hole,” Masson said. “I think it was a good call, definitely, because it was getting unplayable and a little dangerous, but I think overall, yeah, it was a little tougher maybe than in the morning, but still okay.”
Masson carded a 67 to move into a share of the first round lead then quickly headed back out to the course in just over an hour to begin her second round.
Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull also completed the first round on Friday morning. The pair sits one-back of the lead at four-under par after opening with rounds of 68. Both faced a quick turnaround and returned to the course an hour after completing their first round.
Click here for current scores from the first and second round of the 2017 ANA Inspiration.
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