PLEASINGTON golfer Natalee Evans led the qualifiers into today's first round of the Lancashire Women's championship at Pleasington Golf Club.

The Welsh international capitalised on local knowledge to fire an opening round 75 to lie one shot behind Royal Lytham's Kirsty Fisher at the end of the morning.

But a second qualifying round score of 73 put Evans three strokes ahead of second-placed Fisher by the end of the afternoon's play.

"The conditions were not too bad and I was pretty happy with how I played," said Evans.

She was set to play Royal Lytham's Yvonne Welsh in today's matchplay.

Defending champion Gillian Nutter of Formby also eased through, eight shots off the pace in third place.

And a second Pleasington member through to today's matchplay was 18-year-old Katie Adams.

Adams started off the day in fine style with an eagle three at the first - her first eagle in a ten year playing career.

The St Wilfrid's student, who has a handicap of nine, went on to fire an opening round 84 and topped that in the afternoon with a score of 82 to leave her in 12th place.

"I am delighted to have qualified and to get my first ever eagle was great," said Katie, the youngest player in the field.

"But making it through will mean I'll have to take the day off school."

Nelson's Helen Sharples also finished in the top 16 with scores of 81 and 77, as did Blackburn's Claire Blackshaw who fired rounds of 77 and 82 to finish 11 shots off the pace.

And a further East Lancashire player through to today was Clitheroe's Chris Stokes who shot rounds of 84 and 85.

Results - Lancashire Women's Championship (Pleasington) - Qualifiers: 148 N Evans (Pleasington) 75, 73; 151 K Fisher (Royal Lytham) 74, 77; 156 C Ritson (Ormskirk) 80, 76; G Nutter (Formby Ladies) 77, 79; A Bromilow (Haydock Park) 81, 76; 158 H Sharples (Nelson) 81, 77; 159 A Murray (Lancaster) 80, 79; C Blackshaw (Blackburn) 77, 82; 163 K Keogh (Crompton & Royton) 87, 76; E Clark (Manchester) 82, 81; 165 J Tootell (Blackpool NS) 86, 79; 166 K Adams (Pleasington) 84, 82; 167 C Seddon (Formby L) 81, 86; 169 C Stokes (Clitheroe) 84, 85; 170 L Birch (Lancaster) 85, 85; 171 Y Welsh (R Lytham) 86, 85.

Failed to qualify: S Caton (Pleasington) 86, 89; J Martindale (Chorley) 89, 85; R Pickup (Pleasington) 85, 92; J Williams (Pleasington) 89, 86.

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