Pressure helps Emerson rise to occasion

England’s Gary Emerson again thrived on the pressure to keep his European Tour card in the Turespana Majorca Classic.

Emerson barely retained his playing rights for this season, claiming the final card by finishing 116th on the Order of Merit in 2002.

On that occasion finishing 44th in the final event of the year was good enough to avoid a 10th visit to the qualifying school, but Emerson arrived in Majorca 141st on the money list and needing much better in the final two events to survive.

And the 40-year-old from Bournemouth responded to the situation with a superb second-round 64 at Pula Golf Club for a halfway total of three-under-par 137.

That was just three off the lead held by Welshman David Park, who set the clubhouse target at six under by matching Emerson’s 64.

Half the 132-man field were unable to complete their second rounds due to a late-afternoon thunderstorm, with Holland’s Maarten Lafeber, winner of the Dutch Open on Sunday, Park’s nearest challenger on five under with five to play.

Jose Maria Olazabal was a shot further back after running up a double-bogey five on the 13th, the last hole he played before play was suspended, while playing partner Lee Westwood was one over.

Emerson, who has never finished higher than fourth in nine years on tour, admitted: “I’m in a massive hole. I had a good week last week (ninth in the Dutch Open) and need another one this week and next week.

“I seem to play better at this time of year and seem to focus better. I had a rubbish start to the year and earned nothing until Ireland at the end of July, but since then I’ve played okay.

“If I’d played like this all year I wouldn’t have been in trouble but I’ll keep battling away and if I have to go to the school then so be it.”

Park has no such worries this year – although he did need to return to the school in 2001 – and instead is targeting a place in the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

The field is limited to the top 60 on the Order of Merit and the 29-year-old began the week in 62nd.

“That’s why I’m here,” said Park, who lost a play-off for his first-ever European Tour event in 1999 and then won the following week.

“With the new qualification rules you have to be in the top 60 and that’s the reason for coming here and playing next week.”

Westwood began the day two over par after an opening 72 but was quickly back to level par with birdies at the first and third.

However the former European number one, seeking his third win in eight weeks, then dropped shots at the sixth and eighth to be out in 35, before a birdie on the 11th eased any worries about making the cut.

That looked like falling at three over, depending on the weather when play resumed at 8:45am on Saturday morning.