Emma Fairnie top seed, Alex Bushby
also a match-play qualifier in
English women's open mid-am

PRESS RELEASE FROM ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Scotland’s Emma Fairnie made an impressive debut in the English Women’s Open Mid-Amateur Championship at Wallasey when she led the qualifiers for the match-play stages.
Emma, a member of Dunbar Ladies, was level par for the 36-holes stroke-play, helped by a sparkling four-under par 70 in the morning which included seven birdies.
She was four-over in the afternoon when she played through some heavy downpours. “I’m very happy with that – and especially the morning round,” said Emma, who is playing in this event for the first time.
“I really enjoyed the course and I just managed to hole a lot of putts.”
Emma, 20, is a student at Edinburgh University where she is reading sports science. She’s a long-standing member of the Scottish LGAsquads, represented her country at Under-16 level and, when she was 15, was the youngest winner of the Borders county championship.
She’s enjoying good form, having reached the semi-finals of last week’s St Andrews Junior Ladies’ Open.
“Hopefully I’m building up to a good end to the season,” said Emma, who will move on to next week’s British stroke-play championship at Malone in Northern Ireland.
Emma is one of two Scots - Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore) is the other, and she too qualified for the match-play - and three Welsh players taking part in the English mid-am championship.
Emma claimed the top seeding with two shots to spare. Her closest rivals, on two over par, were 2006 champion Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) who recovered impressively from a quadruple-bogey 9 on the 13th in her first round, and Tara Watters (Muswell Hill).
Defending champion Claire Aitken (Mid-Kent) qualified comfortably with rounds of 79, 74. She was one of the early starters and her first round was compiled in the worst of the morning weather.
“It rained all the way round until the 13th or 14th. It was heavy, nasty and difficult so 79 wasn’t a bad score.&r dquo; Afternoon conditions were more comfortable for Claire and she made the most of it with three birdies and an eagle two on the 267-yard sixth, where she drove the green and sank a 15-footer.
“Overall I’m pleased and I’m looking forward to the matchplay,” said Claire.
The final place in the matchplay draw was decided by a sudden-death play-off and was won by Caroline Marron (Bromborough) who beat one of the 2007 semi-finalists, Becky Dowell (Enmore Park), on the first extra hole. The two players had tied on 160.
QUALIFIERS
148 Emma Fairnie (Dunbar Ladies) 70 78.
150 Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) 76 74;Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) 74 76.
151 Tilly Holder (Woburn) 79 72.
152 Sarah Walton (Clitheroe) 78 74; Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire) 77 75; Stephanie Evans (WAL, Vale of Llangollen) 75 77.
153 Claire Aitken (Mid-Kent) 79 74; Clare Partridge (Moor Park) 78 75; Laura Collin (John O'Gaunt) 77 76; Hannah Grant (Enmore Park) 77 76; Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) 74 79; Lucy Williams (Mid-Herts) 74 79.
154 Laura Harvey (Richmond) 78 76; Kate Whitmore (Sandiway) 77 77; Natalie Lowe (Prestbury) 76 78.
155 Samantha Round (Tadmarton Heath) 78 77.
156 Emma Tayler (Saunton) 74 82.
157 Jenny Pease (Braintree) 83 74; Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 82 75, Karen Heywood (Crompton & Royton) 76 81.
158 Sian James (Bristol & Clifton) 82 76; Alexandra Bushby (Strathmore) 81 77; 158 Holly Calvert (Lancaster) 80 78; Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 79 79; Katie Best (Sherwood Forest) 79 79; Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) 79 79; Hermione Fitzgerald (Newmarket Links) 76 82; Emma Sheffield (Newark) 76 82.
159 Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook Park) 80 79; Jo Hodge (Knowle) 80 79.
160 Caroline Marron (Bromborough) 81 79
First round draw:
Emma Fairnie v Caroline Marron
Samantha Round v Natalie Lowe
Clare Partridge v Holly Calvert
Nicole Whitmore v Claire Aitken
Sarah Wa lton v Hermione FitzGerald
Karen Heywood v Charlie Douglass
Lucy Williams v Lisa Ball
Emma Sheffield v Tilly Holder
Tara Watters v Charlotte Dalton
Jenny Pease v Laura Harvey
Hannah Grant v Sian James
Ellie Givens v Holly Aitchison
Stephanie Evans v Katie Best
Alexandra Bushby v Laura Collin
Kate Whitmore v Emma Tayler
Jo Hodge v Charlotte Ellis
Online scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org