GARY Emerson's hopes of celebrating his birthday in style at The Heritage were dealt an early blow when his opening tee shot found the trees at Woburn on Sunday (Sept 26).
Emerson chalked up a double-bogey six and despite bouncing back with two birdies on the third and fourth holes had to settle for a share of 51st place following a closing-round 73.
The 41-year-old Broadstone touring professional had high hopes for the weekend after a second-round 69 left him just seven shots behind the early pace-setters.
But his final total of 287 (one-under-par) left him 18 shots adrift of winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
"My opening tee shot was only a few feet away from being perfect, but it just clipped some branches and disappeared into the trees," explained Emerson.
"I could only chip out sideways and then followed up with three putts. It was an unfortunate start and got me off on the wrong foot.
"I had played as well as I have been all week, but it just didn't happen for me on the greens today," added Emerson, who also three putted the 10th and 13th holes for his two other bogeys.
Emerson had carded a level par 72 on Saturday after birding the final two holes and spurned a chance to pick up his second eagle of the week at the 18th yesterday when his eight-foot putt lipped out.
The next port of call for Emerson is the lucrative Dunhill Links Championship played over three courses - Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns - in Scotland.
Sweden's Stenson, meanwhile, came back from the wilderness to clinch the £226,436 first prize, at Woburn.
The 28-year-old from Gothenburg, who after capturing the 2001 Benson and Hedges International at The Belfry slumped to 176th on the Order of Merit the following season, beat Spain's Carlos Rodiles by four - after birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.
That sparkling run came after Rodiles had birdied six of the last nine holes himself for a 65 that cut the gap to one, but Stenson went away again to finish with a 66 and 19 under par total of 269.
Another Swede, Patrik Sjoland, was third and Anders Hansen from Denmark was fourth, while there was real drama as England's Simon Wakefield rescued a closing bogey six for a share of fifth place.
A lowly 146th on the Order of Merit, Wakefield set his sights on a £50,000 cheque to save his tour career and earned £44,970 - but only after he hit a two-iron out of bounds down the last and then finished behind a tree before making a 30-foot putt. It leaves him 114th on the mon-ey list and needing one more good week from the three tournaments he has left to avoid returning to qualifying school. The top 115 keep their cards.
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