Gary Emerson clung on to his European Tour playing privileges for next season - with little more than £50 to spare after a tense, stomach-churning finale in Rome yesterday.

The Salisbury-based golfer took the last card for next season, finishing 116th in the Volvo Order of Merit after a courageous seven-under-par finish in the Italian Open.

Normally the top 115 earn an exemption for the following season, but one of the players from the list had already earned his playing rights through another tour.

When Emerson finished his third and final round in the rain-shortened Italian event, he had an agonising wait to know whether he'd done enough to earn a fourth successive year on the European stage.

Still out on the course was Gordon Brand Junior and if he finished one shot ahead of Emerson, he would have finished ahead of Emerson in the money order.

To 39-year-old Emerson's utter relief, Brand finished on the same score so finished one behind the Broadstone tournament professional in the rankings by the tiny margin of just 70 euros!

There was heartbreak for Gloucestershire-based Stuart Little who had gone into the tournament 114th. He missed the cut and drifted back to 118th place and now he must go to Final Tour School in just over two weeks' time.

The spectre of a fourth return to Tour School has hung over Emerson for several weeks. The big, powerful Wiltshire ace has really been chasing his tail all season after problems mainly with the putter.

After missing the cut for last week's Madrid Open, he knew it was make or break in Rome. It looked like he was going to break after a two over par 74 left him back in 96th place after the first round.

But the rain which washed away the second day's play seemed to clear his mind and Emerson, who is built like a prize-fighter, came battling back with a 67 on Saturday. Then yesterday he held his nerve and his game together and with the help of five birdies came home with a 68 - good enough to earn a tie for 44th place.

At the top end of the field there was a dramatic finale with long-time leader Ian Poulter missing a short putt at the 17th to hand the lead to Paul Lawrie.

But the Carnoustie Open champion threw the advantage back to Poulter when he pushed his drive out of bounds at the last. Poulter threaded his drive down the middle, sent a nine-iron to within five feet and holed the birdie putt for his second Italian Open win in three years.