Laetitia Beck of Israel has never won as a pro, but in the first round of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic she was the best player on the course–by two strokes.
The 24-year-old Beck posted a bogey-free, 7-under-par 65 and was two ahead of Minjee Lee of Australia and Annie Park at the Senator Course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Prattville, Ala.
Beck started at No. 10 and birdied four of the last five holes on the front nine and then added three more birdies in a span of five holes through No. 8.
“The conditions are great,” said Beck, who claimed the first of her four titles in the Israeli Ladies Championship when she was 12 and played college golf at Duke. “The greens are softer than what I played last year. They were softer so we can attack more, so I think that’s why it’s a score-able course this year, especially because we can just go for it, especially with having short irons.
“I think here on this golf course it’s all putting … and hitting a lot of greens, hit the right part of the green. I think I was doing well making putts, even though I did miss (some) birdie opportunities, but I made good putts for birdies and just kept going.”
Park, who helped USC win the 2013 NCAA Championship and also took home the individual title, birdied five of the first seven holes in her 67, while Lee matched that score when she carded four birdies on a row through No. 16 after opening at No. 10 and added three more birdies on the front.
Alejandra Llaneza of Mexico birdied four of the first 10 holes and was alone in fourth after a 68, while Candie Kung of Fountain Valley and USC carded a 69 and was tied for fifth with Morgan Pressel and Vicky Hurst.
Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger, started at No. 10 with three straight birdies and wound up at 70 to tie for eighth with Ryan O’Toole of San Clemente and UCLA, Christina Kim of San Jose, Ai Miyazato of Japan, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, Sarah Jane Smith of Australia, Perrine Delacour of France, Stephanie Kono, Chella Choi of South Korea, Caroline Masson of Germany, So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, Lisa Ferraro Mi Jung Hur of South Korea.
Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis was in a tie for 21st at 71.
