ROB Brown, who won the Bolton Golf Association Championship six years ago, is the only former winner to reach the quarter-final stage of this year's competition at Chorley.

Brown, from Breightmet, shot a 69 and 75 for a two-round total of 144 to tie with Bolton's Simon Walsh, 74 & 70, but they were a shot behind leading qualifier Bolton's Simon Roocroft, 70-73-143.

The other qualifiers are Deane's James Barr 73-72-145, Hindley Hall's John Pearson 73-72-145, Deane's Jon Cheetham 70-76-146, Great Lever's Graham Southern 74-73-147 and the only home club member Richard Kilshaw 71-76-147.

Three times champion Billy Bromilow missed the cut by one shot, along with Lancashire's Gareth Hastie, who again lost the chance to win his home town title.

Last year's champion Andy Runciman finished three shots adrift of the qualifiers.

The quarter-finals will to be held tonight at 4.50pm are: Roocroft v Kilshaw, Brown v Cheetham, Barr v Pearson and Walsh v Southern. The semis will be held tomorrow with the final on Wednesday.