KAREN MARSHALL TOP MIDLOTHIAN SEED FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Scotland international Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) would have been one of the leading qualifiers for the weekend's match-play stages of the Midlothian women's county championship at Kingsknowe but she flies to Cardiff tomorrow to take part in the Welsh women's open stroke-play championship at Tenby on Saturday and Sunday. Rachael did take part in the county championship qualifying rounds today and posted rounds of 71 and 70 against the par of 72 and CSS of 71. She won the Robertson Salver for the best scratch score on a better inward half countback against Karen Marshall (Baberton), pictured, who also had a 70. In Watton's absence, Marshall is the top seed for the match-play stages at the same course, starting on Saturday. Young Kate McIntosh is seeded to meet her in Sunday afternoon's final after rounds of 71 and 73 for 144. Title-holder Linda Caine qualified eighth of 16 with a total of 155. SLGA tournament organiser Claire Hargan, a multi-winner of the Midlothian title, qualified in fifth place on 149. MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS Par 144 (2x72) CSS 71 71 141 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 71 70. 144 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 71 73 146 Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 74 72. 148 Kate Rorke (Kingsknowe) 71 77. 149 Claire Hargan (Strathmore) 72 77. 152 Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) 81 71. 153 Arlene McGarty (Harburn) 78 75. 155 Linda Caine (Dunbar) 79 76. 157 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) 81 76. 158 Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall) 76 82. 161 Sal Shepherd (Craigmillar Park) 80 81, Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) 80 81. 162 Linda Bain (Lochend) 82 80. 164 Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) 79 85. 171 Sarah Stichbury (Merchants) 87 84. 175 Gillian Glen (Craigmillar Park) 90 85. SATURDAY'S MATCH-PLAY DRAW CHAMPIONSHIP - First round – 9.0 Marshall v Glen. 9.07 Fenton v Caine. 9.15 Hargan v Scott. 9.22 Bain v Rorke. 9.30 Nicholson v Blackwood. 9.37 Shepherd v Fraser. 9.45 McGarty v Laughland. 9.52 Stichbury v McIntosh. Quarter-finals at 1.30, 1.37, 1.45 and 1.52 B CHAMPIONSHIP – Quarter-finals – 10.0 Margaret Thompson v Carole Mason. 10.07 Lesle Campbell v Janet Collins. 10.15 Isobel Halliday v Yvonne Blythe. 10.22 Sandra Ashurst v Elaine Lumsden. Semi-finals at 2.15 and 2.22.