ENGLISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

EMMA DUGGLEBY LEADING QUALIFIER
BY SIX SHOTS AT NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Title-holder Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton) was the leading qualifier for the match-play stages of the English women's amateur championship at Northamptonshire County Golf Club on Wednesday.
Winner of the champion twice in recent years, Curtis Cup player Emma has never been the No 1 seed previous. She returned scores of 70 and 68 for a six-under-par total of 138.
The 32-year-old from Yorkshire, winner of the Helen Holm Scottish women's open stroke-play at Troon in April, birdied the second, sixth, ninth, 12th and 16th. Her only bogey came on the 13th.
On the 379-yard ninth, Emma produced what she described as “a career shot”. In her own words: “I was in the jungle on the right and hit it with a 9-iron through a 8-foot gap 140 yards over a bush and under a tree and sank a uphill 20-foot putt for a birdie”.
Emma went out late and had the worst of the conditions as the sun baked the greens hard. So much so, the club is using sprinklers on the greens overnight.
Considering the conditions, the fact that Emma qualified six shots clear of a national standard field is a memorable achievement, even for a former champion of Europe and South Africa.
The brilliance of Emma’s round can be measured by the fact that in a field containing five members of the Great Britain & Ireland team to challenge USA for the Curtis Cup at Formby on June 12-13, only Harborne’s Felicity Johnson matched par for the two rounds.
"I've never been on a winning Curtis Cup team and I've never successfully defended any title I've ever won," said Emma who is obviously hoping to pull off a memorable double first over the next few weeks.
Curtis Cup team check:
Danielle Masters had 70 and 76 for 146.
Fame Moore 74 and 75 for 149
Shelley McKevitt 75 and 75 for 150
Nikki Timmins 79 and 74 for 153
.The long day's play ended with a play-off featuring five competitors chasing the last of the 32 places in the match-play draw. Katie Dobson won the shoot-out at the third extra hole by sinking a 4ft putt.

QUALIFIERS
138 Emma Duggleby (Malton & Norton) 70 68.
144 Felicity Johnson (Harborne) 73 71
145 Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 72 73
146 Sara Garbutt (Ganton) 74 72
146 Danielle Masters (Tudor Park Hotel) 70 76
147 Naomi Edwards (Ganton) 76 71
147 Kiran Matharu (Sand Moor) 74 73
149 Fame More (Chesterfield) 74 75
149 Melissa Reid (Chevin) 73 76
150 Karen Heywood (Crompton & Royton) 75 75
150 Lisa Ball (Matfen Hall) 73 77
150 Shelley McKevitt (Reading) 73 77
151 Stephanie Brodie (Delamere Forest) 79 72
151 Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) 75 76
152 Marie Allen (Moor Park) 80 72
152 Rachael Lomas (Hallowes) 78 74
152 Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) 76 76
153 Nicola Timmins (Sene Valley) 79 74
153 Caroline Marron (Bromborough) 78 75
153 Natasha Podmore (High Leigh Park) 75 78
155 Emma Tipping (Sandiway) 78 77
155 Sarah-Jane Eaves (Cosby) 77 78
155 Julie Ross (Whitley Bay) 77 78
155 Natalie Haywood (Rotherham) 75 80
155 Natalie Booth (Highcliffe Castle) 73 82
156 Kelly Hanwell (Northampton) 78 78
156 Sian Reddick (Sene Valley) 74 82
157 Claire Howells (Moor Hall) 79 78
158 Chloe Rogers (Braintree) 80 78
158 Joanne Hodge (Knowle) 77 81
159 Anna Scott (Consett & Dist) 77 81
159 Katie Dobson (The Oaks) 84 75
DID NOT QUALIFY
159 Cheryl Smith (Hallowes) 82 77
159 Olivia Briggs (Delamere Forest) 81 78
159 Michelle Smith (Hallowes) 77 82
159 Tiffany Woodyer (Saunton) 74 85
160 Emma Sheffield (Newark) 82 78
160 Corisande Lee (West Lancashire) 81 79
160 Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 80 80
160 Claire Starkie (Silsden) 80 80
160 Vivien Saunders (Cambridge Meridian)82 78
160 Sarah Carter (Northamptonshire Co) 78 82
160 Laura Eastwood (Yelverton) 75 85
161 Christine Watson (Beaconsfield) 83 78
161 Annabel Silk (Corhampton) 83 78
161 Helen Batt (Ashford, Kent) 82 79
161 Lisa Barton (Coventry) 81 80
161 Sally Shayler| (The Bedfordshire) 80 81
161 Clare Durbin (Chipping Sodbury) 77 84
162 Leah Occleshaw (Lansdown) 84 78
162 Harriet Carr (Bedfordshire) 84 78