Harrington below par as great Dane takes the title

DENMARK'S Steen Tinning was the shock winner of the Telefonica Madrid Open yesterday as Pádraig Harrington blew a great chance to take over at the top of Europe's Order of Merit.

Harrington, one shot ahead with a round to play, fell to joint seventh place with an error-ridden one over par 72 - and among the players he shared that spot with was Retief Goosen.

It means the South African stays just under £34,000 ahead with two events to come, but the Ryder Cup Irishman still has an advantage. He plays this week's Italian Open while Goosen is in America at their Tour Championship.

''I had a bad day on the greens,'' said a disappointed Harrington. ''This was a great chance, it really was. It was there for me to do and for some reason the putts were just not dropping.''

And this on a Club de Camp course where he had won twice before.

Tinning, who has come back from three career-threatening injuries, eventually triumphed after the lead changed an amazing 26 times in the last 15 holes. Having fired a third round 62 that equalled the lowest round of his tour life, the 30-year-old from Copenhagen took the £146,507 first prize with a 67 for a 19 under par total of 269. He finished one ahead of Londoner Brian Davis, Scot Andrew Coltart and Australian Adam Scott.

It was Scott who led with two holes to play, but he bunkered his tee shot to the short 17th and then left a four foot downhill putt short after Tinning had holed from 25. When the Dane hit his approach to under 10 feet on the last, Scott knew he had to birdie, but his 20-foot effort rolled just wide.

In 1990 Tinning and his wife Anne were lucky to escape with their lives after a multiple car crash in which his right arm was detached and his left was left dangling by skin and muscle.

He was out for 18 months and after eventually returning lost his card in 1996. After fighting his way back onto the circuit he then suffered a broken thumb in 1999 when he was struck by a wayward drive from an amateur while picking up balls on a driving range. Two years ago he won the Wales Open , but this time last year Tinning thought he had played his last event because of back trouble.