Consistent Gilford foils a brave bid by Barnes

joined the tour's elite millionaires' club.

The 27-year-old Ryder Cup player from Crewe returned a final round of

70 and won the Tenerife Open at Golf del Sur with a 10-under-par total

of 278, and a #41,660 top prize which sent his career earnings to

#1,024,332.

Gilford's consistency earned him his fifth European title by two

strokes from a group of three players as third-round leader Barnes

faltered over the closing stretch and had to settle for a 77 and a share

of fifth place on 281.

Barnes, 49 in June, had been hoping to overtake Neil Coles as the

tour's oldest winner, but he ran out of steam. ''I'm not down . . . just

annoyed. I had seven three-putts and that tells the whole story,'' he

said.

However, Gilford's reputation as one of the most unflappable players

in European golf served him well. He set out four strokes behind Barnes

and was still one behind with six to play before taking command. He hit

the shot which transformed the leaderboard -- a No.7-iron to eight feet

for an eagle 3 at the fourteenth -- and that blow effectively ended the

challenge of Barnes and Spain's main contender, Juan Quiros.

The key to Gilford's success was his accurate driving with a new club

he selected from the Ping factory last week.

Gilford wobbled slightly over the tough closing holes but his bogeys

at the sixteenth and seventeenth did not cost him any ground. Barnes

took three putts on the last three greens to stagger home in 40.

Barnes, the reformed alcoholic with a thirst only for success on the

golf course, started nervously by driving into a bush and running up a

double bogey 6. It spoke volumes for his character that he recovered and

led with six holes remaining, but after his sorry finish he said: ''I

just didn't hit the ball close enough to make any putts.''

However, the Seniors' Tour beckons Barnes next year, while Gilford has

his sights fixed on performing well in the Open Championship at

Turnberry in July. Leading totals (British unless stated):

278 -- D Gilford 72, 70, 66, 70 (#41,660).

280 -- W Riley (Australia) 68, 71, 70, 71; A Murray 73, 67, 68, 72; J

Quiros (Spain) 70, 68, 67, 75 (#18,640 each).

281 -- B Malley (USA) 69, 76, 69, 67; J M Canizares (Spain) 67, 70,

73, 71; D Ray 70, 70, 69, 72; B Barnes 73, 67, 64, 77 (#8250 each).

283 -- J Sewell 74, 67, 73, 69; P Curry 69, 71, 72, 71; D Smyth 70,

71, 70, 72; J Davila (Spain) 74, 68, 70, 71; J M Olazabal (Spain) 73,

69, 70, 71; R Alvarez (Argentina) 72, 65, 73, 73.

284 -- J Rivero (Spain) 73, 68, 73, 70; J Metcalfe 71, 68, 76, 69; D

Borrego (Spain) 68, 70, 72, 74.

285 -- J Robson 71, 72, 72, 70; H Selby-Green 72, 73, 69, 71; G Turner

(New Zealand) 73, 70, 71, 71; S Luna (Spain) 74, 69, 70, 72; R Berhorst

(Germany) 72, 71, 70, 72; R Claydon 71, 71, 70, 73; J Carriles (Spain)

71, 71, 69, 74; M Jiminez (Spain) 74, 70, 67, 74; I Garrido (Spain) 75,

67, 66, 77.

286 -- P Affleck 72, 71, 71, 72.

287 -- D Curry 72, 68, 74, 73; M Krantz (Sweden) 72, 72, 70, 73l H P

Thul (Germany) 70, 70, 73, 74; M Pinero (Spain) 71, 69, 73, 74; A Lebouc

(France) 72, 72, 72, 71; C Cevaer (France) 70, 74, 72, 71; S Bottomley

73, 71, 72, 71; P Lawrie 72, 72, 69, 74; C Brooks 70, 75, 72, 70.

288 -- C Williams 71, 74, 69, 74; T Gogele (Germany) 71, 69, 76, 72; D

Williams 72, 73, 72, 71.

289 -- P Talbot 72, 71, 72, 74; K Waters 73, 71, 69, 76; G Ralph 72,

73, 72, 72.

290 -- M Besanceney (France) 70, 71, 73, 76; P Linhart (Spain) 76, 64,

75, 75; M Roe 71, 72, 74, 73; I Spencer 73, 72, 75, 70.

Other scores included: 292 -- C Cassells 73, 71, 73, 75. 296 -- G

Manson 73, 71, 71, 81. 301 -- M James 71, 73, 80, 77.

* SCOTLAND'S Russell Weir yesterday beat 43 challengers in winning the

Arizona International Ping pro-am tournament in Pheonix. Weir finished

the 54-hole tournament three shots clear of Californian Charlie Gibson.

* ROCKY Thompson had 10 birdies in a record-tying 61 yesterday to post

the biggest comeback in Senior PGA Tour history for a one-stroke victory

over Raymond Floyd in the GTE Suncoast Classic and the $105,000 top

prize.

Thompson started the final round seven strokes behind second-round

leader Mike Hill at the Tournament Players Club of Tampa Bay. His

12-under-par 201 total was one better than Floyd, who closed with a 66,

and two in front of Lee Trevino, who also finished with a 66. Hill

struggled home with a 73 and also fell behind Orville Moody, who

finished with a 70.

Only one other player has ever shot a final-round 61 to win a

tournament. That was Johnny Miller when he won the 1975 Tucson Open on

the regular PGA Tour.