That transformed into a rocky start for the Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay representative, a bogey on the first hole, but she soon got into her groove, thanks largely to her short game.
“I sank heaps of putts,” said McDonald, who was among the many to heap praise on the Awapuni Links greens. “They're perfect — not too fast, not too slow.”
No red holes on a McDonald card is a rare event. Usually the short par-5 ninth and 17th holes are bread-and-butter birdies for McDonald but these holes have been changed to par-4s for the tournament.
The top 16 female players after today's second round of qualifying advance to the matchplay stage of the tournament from which an overall champion will be crowned.
All five local men competing in the five-day tournament faced an early exit unless they could produce hot rounds today.
The 72-strong male field is whittled down to the top 32 players after today's strokeplay round, with the cut-off looking like being around even-par, depending on conditions.
Poverty Bay greenkeeper William Brown and clubmate Peter Kerekere were the best of the locals.
Waikohu and Poverty Bay member Brown had three birdies but also a double-bogey on the stroke 18 par-3 sixth hole in his 3-over 75.
Kerekere, after dropping two shots early in his round, also signed for 75.
It put the pair in a tie for 45th.
Patutahi's Hukanui Brown was 1-under the card after 10 holes, including four birdies on the front nine holes, but dropped six shots in six holes before finishing with a birdie for a 76.
Te Puia Springs/Poverty Bay player Andrew Higham fought back from bogeys on his opening three holes but made double bogey six on the 18th for 77.
Poverty Bay's Thomas Donovan got stuck on the bogey train in his 79 to be sitting in a tie for 65th in the 72-strong field.
