Steen Tinning proved that life does indeed begin at 40 when, three weeks after celebrating the milestone birthday, he showed nerves of steel allied to an abundance of talent to win the Telefonica Open de Madrid at Club de Campo.
At the end of an incredible day where fortunes swung back and forth between a host of challengers, Tinning finally produced the golf that mattered to record his second victory on The European Tour International Schedule, a closing 67 giving him a 19 under par total of 265 and a one shot victory over Andrew Coltart, Brian Davis and Adam Scott.
It was the fourth win by a Danish golfer in the 2002 season, following Anders Hansen (Volvo PGA Championship), Søren Hansen (Murphy’s Irish Open) and Thomas Björn (BMW International Open) and moved the former World and European Junior Champion from 85th on the Volvo Order of Merit to 41st with €482,966 (£303,254).
As well as the congratulatory hugs on the 18th green from his fellow countrymen and the €233,300 (£146,508) first prize, the win also guaranteed Tinning a two year exemption on The European Tour and a return ticket to Spain in a fortnight’s time for the season-ending Volvo Masters Andalucia at Valderrama.
In one of the most exciting final days of the entire season, a host of players found themselves with a chance of victory as play entered the back nine. Indeed at one point, no fewer than six players, Davis, Bradley Dredge, overnight leader Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Tinning and Scott shared the lead at 16 under par.
First player to break from the pack and stake his claim on the title was Davis, fitting the tournament into his honeymoon after his marriage to Julie last week. The 28 year old Londoner was in imperious form, six birdies and an eagle giving him a 63 and an 18 under par total of 266.
After a four foot birdie putt at the 17th, it looked like Davis’s chance had gone when he found the greenside bunker with his wedge approach at the last. But the winner of the 2000 Peugeot Open de España recovered superbly, almost holing his escape from the sand before tapping in for a par four.
In the group behind, Andrew Coltart quickly joined the Englishman on the 266 mark thanks to a superb finish. The 32 year old Scot appeared out of the shake-up with six holes to go, but birdies at the 13th and 14th, followed by bold 15 footers on both the 17th and 18th greens saw the double European Tour winner post an excellent 64.
Coltart and Davis were then faced with an agonizing wait in the clubhouse to see if anyone could match their total and force a play-off, or indeed beat their total and win.
It appeared the man most likely to do the latter was Scott, who birdied the 12th and 14th before holing what looked to be the most crucial birdie putt of the afternoon at the demanding 422 yard 16th.
It moved the winner of the Qatar Masters and the Diageo Scottish PGA Championship already in 2002 to 19 under par for the tournament and into a one shot lead after playing partner Tinning made bogey five following his drive into a fairway bunker and a subsequent trip into the trees.
However, in a hole that summed up the pendulous nature of the whole afternoon, Tinning regained the lead at the short 17th with a superb birdie two while Scott made bogey four, pushing his nine iron tee shot into the bunker before leaving his five foot par putt short.
Coming down the last it meant Scott needed to make birdie or Tinning make a mistake if matters were to change for a final time but neither eventuality occurred, Scott making par from the back of the green while Tinning’s superb eight iron approach to ten feet gave him the luxury of two putts for the title.
Bradley Dredge’s excellent closing 64 gave the Welshman fifth place on 17 under par 267 while Paul Lawrie’s bogey at the last dropped the 1999 Open champion to sixth on 268 after his final round 65.
At the start of the week, much of the attention focused on the battle between Retief Goosen and Harrington for the Volvo Order of Merit title, and events at Club de Campo served only to ensure that the battle will go right to the wire in Valderrama.
After giving early notice that it could be his day with birdies at the opening two holes, ragged play for much of the final round saw Harrington have to settle for a 72 and a share of seventh place with Goosen and Trevor Immelman on 15 under par 269.
Although the prizemoney of €36,120 (£22,679) moved the Irishman above Ernie Els and into second place on the Volvo Order of Merit, the gap between him and leader Goosen remains exactly the same as it was at the start of the week, namely €54,029 (£34,117).
