Beck proud to be f irst from Israel to play in LPGAQualified for Canadian open

Amateur, 19, hopes to be a Tour regular

By RANDY PHILLIPS, The GazetteAugust 25, 2011

The hardest thing Laetitia Beck has had to get used to as she prepares to tee up in the biggest golf tournament of her life is being asked for her autograph.

"It's very embarrassing for me when people ask for my autograph," Beck said. "I'm like: 'I'm not a player.' It's nice, but there are all these players around who are so good."

Beck is one of nine amateurs in the field for the CN Canadian Women's Open which starts with first-round play Thursday at the Hillsdale G&CC.

The 19-year-old also happens to be from Israel, a fact she proudly displays with her country's flag on her golf shoes, and she is the first player from that country to compete in an LPGA tournament.

Initial attempts were made to secure her a sponsor's exemption to play in the 72-hole championship weeks ago, but when those failed she earned her way in by winning one of four spots available in Monday qualifying.

Golf isn't a big time sport in Israel, but it was where the native of Antwerp, Belgium, developed in the game she inherited from her parents and began playing at age 9, three years after her family moved to Caesarea, midway between Tel Aviv and Haifa on the Mediterranean coast.


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