Beck, 1st Israeli on LPGA Tour, leads in Alabama

8:35 PM ET

PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Laetitia Beck took the first-round lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, dodging some of the wind Thursday morning in a bogey-free 7-under 65.

Beck, the first Israeli player to qualify for the LPGA Tour, was in the first group of the day off 10th tee. She birdied four of the final five holes on her opening nine in calmer conditions and had three more on the windier second nine, including two on par 5s.

“I think the winds picked up for us only like the last five, six holes, so we played the front nine without much wind,” said Beck, 24. “That front nine was 4 under, so it really helped.”

Annie Park and Minjee Lee were tied for second at 67. They played in the afternoon.

Beck hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens and had only 26 putts on the links-style Senator Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill complex.

“I think here on this golf course it’s all putting, because it’s a very scorable course,” Beck said. “Hitting a lot of greens, hit the right part of the green, and I think I was doing well making putts, even though I did miss birdie opportunities, but I made good putts for birdies.”

Normally held in hotter and firmer conditions late in the summer, the tournament was moved up because of the Olympics.

“The conditions are great,” Beck said. “The greens are softer …

continue reading in source espn.go.com