FRUSTRATED Gary Emerson saw his hopes of qualifying for this year's Volvo Masters suffer a setback in Madrid following a weekend collapse at Club de Campo.

The Broadstone touring professional went into Saturday's penultimate round of the Madrid Open in joint second after rounds of 67 and 64. But after a miserable two days with the putter he slipped down the leader board for a share of 30th place with a nine-under-par 275 total.

He failed to chalk up one birdie in a third-round 73 after taking 33 putts compared to his impressive 26 and 25 on the first two days.

"I can't remember the last round I played without carding a birdie. It's not something I want to dwell on too long," admitted Emerson, who was visably shaken by his failure with the putter.

"I gave myself enough opportunities, but the longer the round went on the more frustrating it became."

His luck was compounded in a final round 71 yesterday when his tee shot on the sixth hit a sprinkler head and catapulted into the fairway ditch.

"I had struggled all week to get within 50 yards of the hazard and to see that happen just about summed up my final two days.

"Things didn't seem to go my way this weekend. But you make your own luck in this game, and I have just got to accept it and bounce back next week," added Emerson, who has one more chance to move up the 12 places on the Order of Merit to qualify for the lucrative Volvo Masters in Valderrama on October 27-30.

Emerson tees up in the Mallor-ca Classic on Thursday needing to win approximately £60,000 to move into the top 60.

Meanwhile, France's Raphael Jacquelin, competing in his 238th event, captured his first title at the Madrid Open, beating Paul Lawrie by three with a closing-round 69.

The 31-year-old from Lyon was showered in champagne by fellow French players after breaking his duck with a tournament record 23-under-par total of 261.

World number 18 Darren Clarke and Denmark's Anders Hansen shared third place and Ian Woosnam was fifth, while Colin Montgomerie stretched his Order of Merit lead over Michael Campbell to £105,000 by finishing joint eighth.