BATTLING Gary Emerson saved his best to last in an opening round of mixed fortunes at The Belfry on Thursday.

The 38-year-old Bourne-mouth-born professional chip-ped in on his final hole for a card-saving one-over-par 73 in the £1.1m Benson and Hedges International Open.

Emerson's birdie three was one of five chalked up in the chilly early morning conditions which yielded him just seven pars.

But the Broadstone touring professional, who started his round at the 10th, struggled to find consistency off the tee and was punished by five bogies and a six at the demanding par four 442-yard fourth hole.

The topsy-turvy scores, however, were a fair reflection on Emerson's play which was as unpredictable as the shifting breeze blowing through the Warwickshire countryside.

And Emerson looked odds on to add to his dropped-shots tally after his approach shot from a fairway bunker left him a tricky 15-yard chip at the last.

"I didn't fancy that chip at all," said a relieved Emerson. "It was a horrible shot. It was downhill and the ball was in a hole, and it wasn't looking very favourable for me at that point.

"It was a relief to see it go in and was a great way to finish. I would have been a bit down on myself if I had finished with another dropped shot.

"I struggled on the back nine and every time I got in the wrong place off the tee, I got absolutely hammered.

"I didn't miss the fairway by much on the fourth, but could only hit a sand iron out onto the fairway. A foot either side and I would have had a decent lie. Even then I thought I had hit a good recovery shot into the green but went through the back, fluffed the chip, and walked off with a six without hitting a really bad shot."

The double bogey saw Emer-son go over par for the first time in a round which had began so promisingly with a birdie three.

He had started in confident mood and not even a 15-minute delay on the par three 12th disrupted his early progress.

The lengthy stoppage was for big-hitting Emanuele Canonica to return to the tee after carving his first shot into the trees as Emerson and his playing partners Roger Chapman and Soren Hansen looked on.

Emerson kept his concentration to make a par only to drop his first shot at the next following a wayward approach from the ideal fairway position.

Emerson, however, was quick to pick up the tempo once more with consecutive birdies at the 14th and 15th holes to move within one shot of the leaders.

But the infamous 18th hole of the Brabazon Course loomed and Emerson duly fell under its spell with a snap hook off the tee which scattered the ducks.

Emerson managed to limit the damage, however, by holing a putt from off the green to stay in red figures at the turn.

A cameo of Emerson's erratic day came directly after his exploits on the fourth when he hit an adrenalin-charged drive 307 yards, followed by a chip to within two feet for a birdie only to give it back at the next hole.

Emerson, who tees off his second round at 1.05pm this afternoon, was seven shots behind overnight leader Greg Owen and will need to shoot under par to guarantee his place for the weekend.