Craigielaw pair to face up after tough qualifying day

Turner, a quarter-finalist on her home course a year ago, qualified as the No.?6 seed on this occasion after battling hard in the second and final stroke-play round.

"It was horrendous out there," said the two-time British Universities' champion of a day of buffeting winds.

Disappointed to be out in two-over with the wind at her back, Turner dug deep on the testing inward journey. "I held it together and was particularly pleased to get a two at the 16th as I've been struggling with par-3s," she said.

"After that, I then drove out of bounds at the 17th but managed to scramble a double-bogey."

Turner herself admitted the seeded draw was probably going to be "mixed up" due to the tough conditions. But it was a pity that she found herself having to take on the only other Craigielaw player in the field.

Macdonald, a former Scottish Junior Masters winner, also showed character in the testing conditions as she made it into the top match-play flight for the second year running on 162.

Mortonhall's Rachael Watton was the No.?2 seed after the 18-year-old carded a second-round 77 - the best score of the day along with Noreen Fenton of Dunbar.

Watton avoided running up any double bogeys and her performance in the conditions earned praise from playing partners Louise Kenney and Elaine Moffat.

"I did play well," she conceded, "but missed a few shortish putts though that may well have been down the conditions."

In all, eight Lothians players qualified for the top flight, including newly-crowned East Lothian champion Clara Young.

Despite the slightly-built Young looking as though she could have been in danger of being blown away, the 14-year-old survived a "bogey run around" the turn to secure the 16th seeding on 158.

On the same score was Baberton's Karen Marshall, who went out in two-under 35 before spilling seven shots in three holes from the 12th.