Rochelle Morris rides high in English Women’s Open Match Play qualifying

Woodsome Hall’s Morris shot 73 72 for a one-under-par aggregate at Trentham.

She was the only one of Yorkshire’s 10 competitors in the field to claim a place in the top 16 who go forward to Friday’s and Saturday’s match play ties.

In the first round of the match play Morris faces Cheshire’s Jae Bowers, who beat her county team-mate Olivia Hamilton (Cleckheaton) in last week’s Northern Counties Match Week at Sandiway.

In her first round, on Thursday, Morris balanced three bogeys with three birdies, including one of the latter at the last.

Her afternoon round garnered four further birdies, including three in a row from the eighth.

Rotherham’s Olivia Winning produced a massive 12-shot reduction on her first round, going from 84 in the morning to one-under 72 in the afternoon.

Ellie Goodall (Selby) was more consistent, shooting 79 77, while Hannah Holden (Lightcliffe) followed a similar path to Winning, following an 83 with a much-improved 75.

Huddersfield’s Megan Lockett carded 80 81 and Charlotte Austwick (Fulford) 84 80.

Georgina Hirst, of Flamborough Head (82 84), had three birdies in the first four holes of her back nine in the second round but closed with a triple bogey 8.

Skipton’s Lucy Eaton could find only one birdie all day although that was one more than Ganton’s Chloe Stokes (89 91) could squeeze from the course.

Waterton Park’s Olivia Jay, who recently placed second in her club championship, shot 87 83.

Lancashire’s Brogan Townend made an impressive debut in the event, in Staffordshire. The Lancashire county champion and former England girl international shot four-under 69 in the morning round and followed up with two-under 71.