Pauline hoping for hat-trick

PAULINE Dobson of South Moor is going for a hat-trick of titles in the Durham County Championship at Chester-le-Street, who staged the men’s event last season.

There are six juniors in the starting line-up: Rebecca McGinley, also South Moor, along with the Woodham pair of Rebecca Horner and Stephanie Peareth plus Tanya Baxter (Ryton), Hayley Spence (Hobson) and Charlotte Hindmoor (Blackwell Grange).

In last year’s final, against McGinley, Dobson was three down after 10 holes before battling back to stamp her name on the cup for the fifth time, her previous victories arriving in 1991, 1994 and 1998.

Tomorrow’s strokeplay qualifying leads into the two-day matchplay stages, with the final held on Sunday.