She went out in 2-over 38, bogeyed the 10th and double-bogeyed the 11th but bounced back with birdies on 13 and 14.
However, she dropped three shots on the final three holes, which dropped her down the leaderboard but still comfortably within the 16.
McDonald's reward is round 1 match with second qualifier Tara Raj, a Whanganui teenager who was 15 strokes ahead of McDonald in qualifying.
McDonald, however, has a reputation as a strong matchplayer and is well aware of how this format can throw up surprise results.
Their match teed off at 11.17 this morning.
Bragging rights went to Peter Kerekere but only just as the local men's challenge ended prematurely at the New Zealand amateur.
Kerekere finished the best of the five Gisborne male players among the 72-strong field whittled down to the top 32.
The rookie truck driver carded 5-over 149 (75, 74), four dropped shots in the last five holes yesterday thwarting his hopes of advancing to the title-deciding matchplay section of the tournament.
The cut-off was 2-over 146.
A shot behind Poverty Bay member Kerekere was Patutahi's Hukanui Brown (76, 74), who could not find a birdie in a back nine holes featuring eight pars and a sole bogey.
A shot back from Brown was Poverty Bay greenkeeper and Waikohu member William Brown, who after rattling up six consecutive pars to open his rounds, had an up-and-down run over the next 12.
Three bad holes on the back nine hurt Poverty Bay's Thomas Donovan, who ended on 156 (77, 79).
Te Puia Springs/Poverty Bay member Andrew Higham sank a 56-degree wedge from 100 metres out for eagle-2 on the fourth to go 2-under but battled from there on for an 81 to go with his first-round 77.
