Steen Tinning, lucky to escape with his life after almost losing his arm in an horrific car crash in 1990, came from 85th in the money list to almost double his season's earnings with a £146,500 triumph in the Madrid Open at Club de Campo yesterday.

Overnight leader Padraig Harrington had to settle for a one over par 72 and ended level-pegging with Retief Goosen (67), who heads him by some £34,000 at the top of the European order of merit.

The Dubliner, twice a winner over the course and eight strokes clear of the South African after opening with a brace of birdies, will try again to overtake him in this week's Italian Open in Rome as Goosen heads for America's Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Matters will not be settled until the following week's end of term Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Tinning, meanwhile, had displayed courage of the highest order to come back from that German autobahn pile-up which left his right arm connected by only skin and muscle.

Yesterday the 40-year-old, who was also forced to quit the game for long spells with severe thumb and back injuries, proved his bravery on the golf course after three birdies in four holes swept him into the lead.

The lanky Dane pushed his drive into a bunker at the 16th, saw his recovery catch the lip and end in the trees 50 yards ahead, then put his third into more sand.

But he downed a gutsy 10-footer to drop only one stroke,

then willed in a

25-footer for a

two at the next.

With that birdie he regained the lead he had lost to an Adam Scott birdie at the

16th when

the Australian fluffed a four-footer for his par three at the 17th.

Tinning, round in 62 on Saturday, shot 67 to squeeze one ahead of Scott (68), England's Brian Davies (63) and Scotland's Andrew Coltart (64).

Welshman Bradley Dredge shot 64 for 267 and Scotsman Paul Lawrie 65 for 268.

Tinning, who played his way into the Valderrama event with his dramatic follow-up to his victory in the 2000 Wales Open, admitted: "This is my third comeback. My wife and I were lucky to survive the car crash in Germany in 1990. I was out of action for 18 months.

"I was forced off the tour again about three years ago when my right thumb was crushed by a golf ball when an amateur hit me on the range from about 40 yards with a full-blooded drive.

"I gave up golf for four and a half months again last August because of persistent back problems. I was spending more time in the physio wagon than on the practice ground.

"It's great to come back with a win and I owe a lot to my Scottish caddy Ned McCrindle, who spotted I had the ball too far back in my stance after eight holes in the third round.

"Nudging it a bit further forward made all the difference and the putts started going in."

On a tense final afternoon the lead repeatedly changed hands and a play-off looked certain with six players at one time tied for the lead.

Davies, who shot 65 in the opening round and 62 in last year's event to finish third behind Goosen was the first to set the target. He and partner Dredge produced birdie after birdie after Davies launched his bid with a 12-foot eagle at the fourth.

The Londoner, who was married a week before, covered the last seven holes in four under for 63 and would have matched last year's final effort but his bunker shot at the last hit the hole and spun a foot away.

Guardian Service