BOLTON Ladies champion Helen Braddock fired an early warning to her rivals when she finished top of the eight qualifiers in the Preston Scratch Trophy at Deane yesterday.

The Old Links golfer fired in two rounds of 77 and 81 for a total of 158 and takes on Turton veteran and former champion Jessie Baxter in Thursday's quarter-finals.

The eight qualifiers are: Braddock 158, Linda Brown (Bre) 82-79-161, Cath Shuttleworth (Dun) 82-81-163, Vivien Wood (Bol) 77-89-166, Sally-Ann Attwood 88-80-168, Elaine Taylor (OL) 87-81-168, Jessie Baxter (Tur) 83-85-168, Pam Nightingale (Bol) 85-84-169.

The other quarter-finals feature Nightingale v Brown, Attwood v Shuttleworth and Wood v Taylor.

Turton's Hilary Hibbert won the best nett prize with 146 (91-86-174).

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