GILLIAN PATON is on a roll that might carry her all the way to the Scottish championship final at Monifieth Links on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Royal Montrose GC member has scored a double over another Angus player, Jacqueline Sneddon (Alyth) over the past four days.
On Sunday, Paton beat Sneddon in the final of the Angus county championship at Forfar and yesterday leapfrogged overnight leader Sneddon to claim the top seeding by two strokes at the head of the 32 qualifiers for the match-play stages.
Paton was a star of south of Scotland women's golf until she moved to Angus and has continued that form by winning several events and titles. And the biggest one yet could be just three days away.
If the seeding works in her favour there will be a replay of the Angus county final at Monifieth on Saturday with the Scottish title at stake.
Paton added a two-under-par 71 to her first round 74 for an aggregate of 145 over the par-73 links, the only player to be sub-par for the 36-hole stroke-play test.
"I holed more putts today than I did in the first round, that was the big difference," said Paton. "I prefer match-play to stroke-play so I am very much looking forward to the rest of the tournament."
The 25-year-old took advantage of the much improved conditions - little wind and warm sunshine. She hit form with five birdies and just three bogeys.
Sneddon, the first-round leader with a 71, added a 76 to stand in second place on 147 and teenager Chloe Goadby (St Regulus) was third qualifier after two rounds of 74.
Defending champion Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) had a second round 74 to secure the 17th qualifying place on 155 and 15-year-old Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne), who was runner-up in the Helen Holm Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship at Troon last month, had a 75 and was 21st qualifier on 156.
Elaine Moffat (St Regulus), who won the Championship at North Berwick in 1998, struck a blow for the older brigade with a 71 and a tie for fourth place on 149.
"I first played in the Championship when I was a student at St Andrews in 1986 and I've played most years since," said Moffat. "The young ones play a different game these days but I just have to do my own thing."
Moffat won the trophy contested by former national champions in the second. Her only opponent was Gabrielle MacDonald.
Four players - Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle), Nicola Robertson (Stirling), Carol Wilson (Murcar) and Margo Gardner (Linlithgow) - tied on 160 and were in a play-off for the final two of the 32 matchplay places.
Gardner and 14-year-old Rankine both birdied the long second - all four players had pars at the first - to make it through to the knockout. Eliminated in the play-off were Carol Wilson (Murcar Links) and Nicola Robertson (Stirling).
Fiona Wait (Bathgate) would have qualified for the matchplay with a 159 aggregate but withdrew for a family emergency.
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