Tinning gains narrow victory

Steen Tinning has become the fourth Danish winner on the European Tour this year when he a claimed a battling single-stroke victory in the Madrid Open on Sunday.

Tinning's closing eight-birdie four-under-par 67 in a dramatic finale at Club de Campo, for a total of 19-under-par 265 was a stroke better than Australian Adam Scott and Britons Andrew Coltart and Brian Davis.

Tinning followed Thomas Bjorn and Anders and Soren Hansen into the winner's enclosure this year.

The 40-year-old, who nearly gave up the game last year through serious back problems, produced a stunning 25ft birdie putt on the 17th to finally separate him from a playoff on Sunday when there was at one time a seven-way tie for the lead.

His 225,000 dollars success was only the second time, apart from his 2000 Wales Open win at Celtic Manor, that Tinning had been in the top three in 344 events during a 17-year career.

Tinning ended Scott's hopes of a third title this year but the 22-year-old Australian again faltered at the end of his round.

Having forged a shot ahead of Tinning, who had a bogey on the 16th, Scott faltered on the 17th as he had the previous day, bunkering himself and then leaving a four-foot save short.

It was a huge boost for Tinning, who stopped playing after the 2001 BMW International because he felt he was spending too much time having treatment on his back instead of practising.

It was his third career-threatening injury after a car crash in 1990 and a crushed thumb from a practice range accident in 1999.

"I just couldn't relax like my last win in Wales, which I didn't expect to win," said Tinning. "This one I knew I could win.

"That 25-footer on the 17th was a great read. I have to thank my caddie for that, who got me to put the ball further in my stance this week.

"Last year with all my back problems I felt I didn't want to come back on tour but four and a half months of back exercising has been all worthwhile."

HARRINGTON STRUGGLES

The final day proved not only a disappointment for Scott, but also for Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who began the day a stroke better than the young Australian and Tinning.

But the Irishman woke up with a cold putter that sapped his confidence and despite birdies on the first two holes, he three putted three times and slumped to finish on 269.

That ended Harrington's hopes of not only winning the Madrid event for the second time in three years but also of stealing a march on Retief Goosen for the European Tour's order of merit.

Harrington trailed Goosen by under 50,000 dollars going into the event, but his poor finish and the South African's closing 67 to tie the Irishman for seventh equal, meant no change at the head of the order of merit with two events to go.

The Irishman plays next week's Italian Open, while Goosen is in the U.S. at the U.S. Tour Championship. Both are in the lineup for the Tour's final event of the year, the lucrative Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Last year Goosen clinched the order of merit when he won the Madrid Open, leaving Harrington in second place.

"After a good start the potential was there for me to do well," said Harrington, "but for some reason the putts just didn't drop today.

"My confidence was gone at the end but I'm looking forward to next week's Italian Open now."

The two second-placed Britons produced exhilarating finishes to surge through the field.

Davis, carding a 63, lipped the hole with a bunker shot on the last to deny himself a playoff, while Coltart holed a 35ft birdie putt on the last for a 64.

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