JONATHAN Hurst hit a hole-in-one to propel himself into the last eight of the ELGA Championship on Saturday.

The Shaw Hill golfer hit his ace on the eighth at Clitheroe to give him second place in the 36-hole qualifying with 145, two behind the leader Craig Fort.

Fort, of Nelson, took the individual ELGA Scratch Medal prize two weeks ago and his rounds of 72 and 71 continued his excellent form ahead of today's quarter-finals.

The last eight match-play ties have thrown up an intriguing encounter for twice runner-up Fort, whose dubious reward for finishing top of the qualifiers is a match against the holder, Accrington's Trevor Foster.

Foster sneaked into the top eight on a card play-off with Rossendale's Mark Whittaker after both players posted scores of 149.

Also qualifying on 145 were Gary Philipson of Darwen and another Nelson golfer, Daniel Nutter, who all but secured his place in the morning round with 68, the day's only score below 70, allowing him to go through despite a 77 in the afternoon.

Philipson will play Mark Young, the sole representative from Stoneyhurst Park, who keeps the club's flag flying thanks to rounds of 75 and 73.

His 148 was matched by home golfers Dennis Greenup and Mark Ashworth who will be looking to lift the Harold Ryden Trophy on the Clitheroe course.

Greenup will play Nutter in the quarter-finals while Ashworth meets Hurst.