Gary Emerson put together four birdies back-to-back to accelerate up the first round leaderboard in the Turespana Masters in Madrid yesterday.

The man from Sixpenny Handley near Salisbury birdied holes four through to seven to push on to four under par and into a tie for fifth place.

Australian Marcus Brier, who came off the European Challenge Tour last year, led with a seven under par 64 and to Emerson, attached to the Broadstone Club, he was just a spec on the horizon after the Wiltshireman made a roller-coaster start

He began at the tenth and although a bogey at the 13th was cancelled out when he gained a shot at the next, Emerson was still on the ragged edge and let another shot slide away at 15.

Emerson was one over going through eight but after a birdie at 18, he began his dramatic charge. Holes four and seven at the Club de Campo are long par fives and the powerfully-built Salisbury player, who has earned £84,000 on tour this year, used his long driving to good effect.

After his run of birdies, Emerson parred his way home for a 67 - one behind Ulster's Darren Clarke who is looking for a good result to move above Lee Westwood in the European Order of Merit.

Clarke, £70,000 behind Westwood, who isn't in the field at Madrid, finished at five under.

l Peter Dawson from the South Winchester Club was among the 36 top senior players in Europe who teed off in the Dan Technology Senior Tournament of Champions at the Buckinghamshire today.

The left-handed former Ryder Cup player has earned his place in the quality field by moving up to 18th in the European Senior Tour rankings, his best performance coming in the PGA Seniors Championship at the De Vere Belfry in August where he was second after a play-off with American John Grace.

John Garner, another former Ryder Cup man who was based in Hampshire, won the Tournament of Champions two years ago - and that could be a good omen for Dawson who is having his first season on the over 50's tour.