MYTTON Fold assistant professional Chris Mathews and Chorley amateur Andrew Palmer are East Lancashire’s sole survivors in the bid to qualify for this year’s Open Championship at St Andrews.

The pair are among 185 players that progressed from regional qualifying across 16 different courses in Great Britain.

Ironically, their success came outside the north west qualifying venue at Clitheroe, which enjoyed huge crowds in glorious sunshine as a first-time host on Monday.

Mellor Brook-based Mathews, whose father Jeff is the professional at Mytton Fold, qualified after shooting an eagle in a nine-man play-off at Berwick-upon-Tweed (Goswick).

The 25-year-old, however, is accustomed to the tricky Northumberland coast course having grown up in nearby Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear.

“It was very windy at Goswick,” said Mathews, who earned one Northumberland county cap before turning pro. “It’s quite a tough course at the best of times.

“There was a nine-man play-off for two places and two of us got eagles on the second play-off hole.

“It was a nice feeling when that one went in – my caddie made a very loud noise. I think the Royal and Ancient staff were a bit taken back by it!”

Before following his dad to Mytton Fold earlier this year, Mathews spent three years earning his PGA qualifications at Samlesbury Golf Centre.

He will now be joined by Chorley’s Palmer for Local Final Qualifying in Scotland on Tuesday.

Palmer, 21, a full-time golfer from Adlington, progressed after firing an impressive round of 71 at Mere in Cheshire.

A former Myerscough College golf student, Palmer has been pressing for a Lancashire senior call-up since 2008, the year he became Bolton champion and reached the Faldo Junior Series World Final in Brazil.

In 2007, he played in Slovakia for the University of Central Lancashire Elite Squad and has also represented British Universities in the past.

Palmer will take to Local Final Qualifying at Scotscraig on Tuesday in a bid to reach The Open, while Mathews heads to another Scottish outpost, Fairmont St Andrews.

OPEN QUALIFYING LOCAL SCORES: CLITHEROE: Mark Ashworth* (Clitheroe) 73, Jon Hurst* (Shaw Hill) 73, Craig Fort* (Nelson) 74, Jason Ashton (Blackburn) 76, Mark Young* (Longridge) 76, Jeff Matthews (Mytton Fold) 79, Jonathan Pollard (Clitheroe) 80, Ian Singleton (Whalley) 81, Graham McEwan (Clitheroe) 89 MERE: Andrew Palmer* (Chorley) 71 PANNAL: Mark Harling (Accrington) 79 BERWICK-UPON-TWEED (GOSWICK): Chris Mathews (Mytton Fold) 73 * denotes amateur