Israeli golfer Beck fails to make cut at PGA Championship

JUNE 14, 2015 00:36

Laetitia Beck is nervous, yet also excited and confident, as she gets used to the idea that she will be playing full time on the LPGA Tour next year (photo credit: MARK SIMS) — Laetitia Beck is nervous, yet also excited and confident, as she gets used to the idea that she will be playing full time on the LPGA Tour next year

(photo credit: MARK SIMS)

Laetitia Beck just missed the cut at the Women’s PGA Championship on Friday after finishing the first two rounds at two-over-par.

The 23-year-old, who became the first Israeli to earn an LPGA or a PGA Tour Card last December, was in trouble after carding a 76 in the first round and her 72 in the second round left her one shot short of making the cut on the undulating Westchester course in the leafy northern suburbs of New York City.

Beck was coming off the best result of her career to date after finishing the Manulife LPGA Classic in Ontario in 19th place last week at 11-under-par.

World number one Lydia Ko also missed the cut, a first in her professional career, while Kim Sei-young eagled the par-five 15th to take a one-stroke lead after 36 holes.

The 18-year-old Ko’s astonishing run of making 53 consecutive cuts ended when she shot a three-over 76 in the second round for a two-over-par 148 total, missing the cut by one stroke.

“I just made a double [on the 11th] and just couldn’t get anything turned around,” said Ko, who had made the turn one-under for the round but bogeyed three of the next four holes after the double.

“I just kind of made bogey after bogey and when you do that, it’s not great.”

It was a much better day for Kim, 22, who has already won twice in her rookie season on the LPGA circuit.

She shot a five-under 68 and leapfrogged seven-times major winner Karrie Webb of Australia and twice defending champion Park In-bee.

Kim posted an eight-under 138 total in the second major of the season.