RACHAEL LOWERS NEWBATTLE RECORD BUT
WILL MISS MIDLOTHIAN MATCH-PLAY

The Newbattle Golf Club women’s course record, first set by golf-writer-to-be Elspeth Burnside in 1977, was first equalled and then shaved by a shot a few hours later on a gloriously sunny day for the qualifying rounds of the Midlothian women’s county championship today.
Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall) equalled Elspeth’s mark of 70 with her morning round and, in the afternoon, 19-year-old Scotland girl international Rachael Livingstone (Musselburgh Old) lowered the record to 69 – three under par – and below the CCS of 71 (am) and 72 (pm).
Rachael had had a 77 in the morning and would have had an aggregate of 146 but, unfortunately, she cannot take part in the match-play stages on Friday and Sunday because she has entered the Welsh women’s open stroke-play championship at Newport at the weekend. But her second-round effort, in which she was six under par after 11 holes and shot seven birdies in all, will stand as a new course record.
Belinda Murphy’s second round was a 71 which gave her the No 1 qualifier spot with an aggregate of 141 – one stroke ahead of Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) 71-71, and four ahead of former Scotland cap Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) who had 74 and 71 for 145 and the third seed berth.
Last year’s Miss Hargan won the Midlothian title for the fourth year in a row, beating clubmate Belinda Murphy at the nineteenth.
QUALIFIERS
Par 144 (2 X 72). CSS 71 72.
141 Belinda Murphy (Mortonhall) 70 71.
142 Claire MacDonald (Gullane Ladies) 71 71.
145 Claire Hargan (Mortonhall) 74 71.
149 Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall)72 77 (better last 9), Karen Marshall (Baberton) 72 77.
150 Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 74 76.
151 Ruth Brown (Lothianburn) 74 77.
152 Fiona DeVries (St Rule) 75 77.
153 Noreen Fenton (Mertchants of Edinburgh) 75 78.
159 Arlene McGarty (Harburn) 82 77, Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 81 78.
163 Suzanne Ireland (Prestonfield) 81 82.
164 Amanda Edwards (Liberton) 83 81, Linda Caine (Merchants of Edinburgh) 82 82, Mairi Pollock (Craigmillar Park) 80 84.
181 Gilly Glen (Craigmillar Park) 94 87.
AUTOMATIC DRAW
Friday – First round (9am) – Murphy v Glen, Fenton v DeVries, Marshall v Ireland, Edwards v Laughland, Hargan v Caine, Hunter v Nicholson, Brown v McGarty, Pollock v MacDonald. Quarter-finals at 2pm.
Sunday – Semi-finals and finals.