Youngest Canuck makes cut
Toronto’s Lee-bentham plays on Down Under, Kane tied for seventh
If this goes down as the worst day of Rebecca Lee-bentham’s LPGA career then she’s going to be all right.
The Toronto teenager ballooned to a 7-over-par 80 Down Under on Friday in her second round as a full-fledged member of the world’s top women’s golf tour. But thanks to an even-par 73 in Thursday’s opening round, the 19-year-old made the cut in the season-opening women’s Australian Open.
“Tough day today. But things could always be worse. Grateful I get to play the weekend,” Lee-bentham posted on Twitter after Friday’s round.
Lee-bentham, who left behind a full golf scholarship at the University of Texas to pursue her dream of an LPGA career, is the youngest Canadian on the tour this season. Her father, Ken, is caddying for her.
But it’s veteran Lorie Kane who is leading the Canucks in Australia. The 47-year-old Charlottetown native, who is beginning her 17th season on the LPGA Tour, followed up her opening-round 1-under-par 72 with a 73 on Friday. Her two-round total of 1-underpar 145 is good for a tie for seventh. Kane, a four-time winner with career earnings of $6.8 million, hasn’t won an LPGA tournament since 2001, when she closed with a 66 to hold off a charging Annika Sorenstam to capture the Takefuji Classic. She goes into the weekend five shots back. Lee-bentham is tied for 59th with a two-round total on the cutline of 7-over-par 153 at Royal Melbourne GC. Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie was 10 over par and missed the cut. U.S. Women’s Open defending champion So Yeon Ryu leads with a two-round total of 140, 6 under par. She fired a 4-under 69 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over fellow South Korean Hee Kyung Seo. Four golfers are tied at 4-under 142, two shots back. Sixteen-year-old American star Lexi Thompson was 2-over 148 after her second straight 74. She’s tied for 19th with seven other golfers. Fourteen-year-old New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko was tied for 32nd at 4-over 150 after a 76. She won the New South Wales Open two weeks ago to become the youngest winner of a sanctioned pro tour event.