Laetitia Beck, the Florida-based Israeli girl who won the Verizon Junior Heritage girls' championship today on Hilton Head Island (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency; click on it to enlarge).

Stephanie Meadow finishes joint seventh behind

Laetitia Beck, winner of girls' Verizon Junior title

Curtis Cup team place contender Stephanie Meadow from Northern Ireland faded from contention over the second round of the Verizon Junior Heritage - one of the United States' top Under-19 years tournaments - at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina today.

Stephanie, a student at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy on the island, was in the picture with a Saturday round of 74 but she required 80 shots for her next round over the Harbour Links.

Her total of 154 saw Stephanie finish joint seventh, seven shots behind the winner of the 36-hole event, Laetitia Beck from Israel, a student at a golf academy in Florida. Laetitia, who is a member of Caesarea Golf Club in Israel, had rounds of 73 and 74 for 147.

She won by two shots from the favourite, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida. Alexis had rounds of 73 and 76 for 149.

Last year Alexis beat Laetitia in a play-off for the title.

Miss Beck has committed herself to enrol at Duke University, Durham in North Carolina in the autumn. Duke has been the strongest team on the US women's college circuit in recent years.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 143 (72 + 71)
147 Laetitia Beck (Israel) 73 74.

149 Alexis Thompson 73 76.
150 Sierra Sims 74 76.

153 Portland Rosen 77 76, McKenzie Talbert 75 78, Juliet Vongphoumy 75 78.

154 Collins Bradshaw 76 78, Katherine Perry 75 79, Irene Jung 75 79, Brittany Mai 77 77, Stephanie Meadow 74 80, Monifa Sealy 76 78.

155 Simin Feng 77 78.

156 Jessica Korda 82 74, Alison Emrey 82 74.

158 Ri Hyang Park 75 83, Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai 78 80.

159 Daniela Lendl 80 79, Jackie Chang 80 79.

161 Suzie Lee 76 85, Minami Levonwich 78 83, Anne Marie Covar 79 82.

162 Janie Jackson 77 85.

162 Lauren Salazar 81 82.

164 Jaye Marie Green 82 82, Hally Leadbetter 79 85, Linda Luo 76 88, Joyce Kim 79 85.

168 Noriko Inoue 86 82, Harin Lee 84 84.

169 Katie Rose Higgins 78 91.

170 Yuri Otsuka 87 83.

171 Elizabeth Thompson 80 91.

LEADING BOYS' TOTALS TO COME