JANE TURNER TOP MIDLOTHIAN SEED AT BROOMIEKNOWE

JANE TURNER, Has never won the Midlothian county title                        Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.  Is this going to be the year that Scotland cap Jane Turner wins the Midlothian women's county golf championship for the first time? The Craigielaw GC member and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen student could be excused for thinking so after winning the 36-hole qualifying competition at Broomieknowe GC with a pair of 73s for 146. The nearest she has got in the past was reaching the 2005 final before losing to another Scotland player of a different vintage, Claire Hargan, who won five county titles in a row from 2003 to 2007. But Turner knows it won't be easy to break her duck. No 2 seed, only one shot behind her, is Hannah Scott, a home-course player who set a new course record of 69 at Broomieknowe recently. Then there is Claire Hargan, herself, who recently moved from being Tournament Director at the SLGA to the Rules Staff of the R&A. The SLGA job did not give Claire much time for competitive golf so she may be adding to her Midlothian collection of titles over the next year or two now that she has left it.  Other past champions among the qualifiers include the title-holder Karen Marshall (Baberton), the fifth best qualifier, Rachael Livingstone (Craigmillar Park) and Linda Caine (Dunbar). The young Dalgetty sisters, Jessica and Emily, from Glencorse both qualified in their first county championship. QUALIFIERS Par 144 (2x72) SS 71 CSS 73 73 146 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 73 73 147 Hannah Scott (Broomieknowe) 74 73 148 Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse) 72 76 154 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 76 78 154 Karen Marshall (Baberton) 75 79 155 Linda Caine (Dunbar) 79 76 159 Rachael Livingstone (Craigmillar Park) 81 78 161 Claire Hargan (Cardross) 84 77, Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) 84 77, Wendy Nicholson (Broomieknowe) 80 81 162 Jessica Dalgetty (Glencorse) 81 81 163 Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park ) 84 79 165 Fiona Hunter (Baberton) 82 83 168 Linda Bain (Lochend) 85 83 169 Emily Dalgetty (Glencorse) 83 86 170 Sarah Stichbury (Merchants) 83 87 171 Caroline Steedman (Murrayfield) 87 84 174 Sal Shepherd ( Craigmillar Park ) 86 88 178 Liz Taylor (Prestonfield) 90 88 180 Sue Dalrymple (Kingsknowe) 82 88   FRIDAY'S MATCH-PLAY DRAW 9.00 Turner v Steedman 9.07 Hargan v Fraser 9.15 McIntosh v Bain 9.22 Marshall v Ballantyne 9.30 J Dalgetty v Caine 9.37 E Dalgetty v Blackwood 9.45 Nicholson v Livingstone 9.52 Stichbury v Scott