LIFE began at 40 for golfer Gary Emerson in Moscow last night.

The Salisbury veteran, who celebrated his 40th birthday last autumn, chalked up the first European Tour victory of a long and chequered career when be brilliantly won the BMW Russian Open at the Meridien Golf and Country Club in Moscow.

Emerson marched home with a 16-under par total which gave him a two-stroke victory over the Austrian No 1 Markus Brier, a cheque for 67,000 euros and - best of all - a European Tour exemption for the rest of this year and next year as well.

It was a sweet moment for Emerson, who lost his European Tour playing rights last year and has been campaigning in Europe's second division Challenge Tour.

The Russian event was a dual ranking tournament, counting for both European and Challenge Tour points.

Victory lifted Emerson 40 places up the European order of merit from 144th place to 105th, almost doubling his prize money for the season in one fell stroke.

But all that was academic. Emerson has taken one giant leap back on to the European Tour and he did it in great style in Moscow.

Despite being the oldest player in the field, playing 36 holes on the last day of the tournament held no fears for the Broadstone tournament professional.

Saturday's play was washed out by torrential rain, leaving the organisers to fit in the two final rounds on Sunday.

Emerson, who had launched his challenge by picking up six shots in five holes through the turn in the second round (including two eagles), never flinched.

He moved from a share of third place on Friday night into a share for first with the German Kariem Baraka after the third round when both players stood at 12 under par.

Despite a double bogey at the 423-yard seventh hole, Emerson got his game straight back into shape with a birdie at the short eighth then picked up four more shots over the back nine to finish with a 68.

Emerson has been in this position before but hasn't been able to deliver the goods. This time was different.

Baraka fell away with a final round of 76 but the Welshman Kyron Sullivan posted a new challenge when he got back to the clubhouse at 13 under.

Emerson had birdied the first and second but bogeyed the 11th to go to 13 under. With Brier making a move as well, there was still work to be done and Emo did the business where it counts, along the finishing straight.

He birdied 14, 16 and 17 to move two ahead of Brier and parred the last to nail the tournament.

A long overdue win for Emerson after over ten seasons of campaigning in Europe will bring joy to the region. The powerful, talented player, who cut his golfing teeth playing regularly in Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, has at last reaped his reward for simply never throwing in the towel when the going got rough - which it often did.

It is a consolation, too, for losing out in a play off for the German Challenge Tour championship event only last month and for being unable to capitalise on a good qualifying performance for The Open at Royal Troon.

Emerson said: "It's fantastic to have won a main tour title at last. I'm delighted because I was playing under pressure and I came through it. I was really pleased with the way I played the back nine.

"I lost my card last year so I feel I've got my job back.

"To be honest I've been playing the best golf of my career this year. Yesterday I played really solid and holed a big putt at 14 which gave me the confidence to go on and win it."