PADRAIG HARRINGTON'S 10 tournament marathon ended on a high note yesterday when a final round of 68 gave him ninth place behind Peter Mitchell in the Madeira Island Open. The Stackstown golfer, who has played every tournament so far of the 1997 European Tour circuit which began in Australia in January, had a six under par total of 210 to earn £5,842.

That took his winnings for his "world tour" to just over £55,000 and he departs for a well earned two week rest having risen five places in the Ryder Cup qualifying table.

Whether quantity rather than quality is the best strategy to secure a place in the European team at Valderrama in September, is something for Harrington and his advisers to decide. This morning he is 14th in the Ryder standings with 121,600 points and well positioned to strike out for a place in the automatic top 10 when the big money segment begins next month.

Mitchell has now joined the serious Cup contenders by snatching his second Tour victory in the weather shortened event with a last hole birdie three. It gave him a one shot margin over fast finishing Swede Fredrik Jacobson whose 64 threatened to force a play off until the 38 year old Kent golfer struck a 130 yards wedge shot within a foot of the last flag.

It gave England's Mitchell, who won the 1992 Austrian Open by chipping in for an eagle at the last hole, a 71 and a 12 under par total of 204 that won him £50,000. He also displaced Sam Torrance from 10th spot in the Ryder table.

Mitchell had set out on the third round with a four stroke lead after scoring a record 63 on Saturday. But that was whittled down to two shots with three holes remaining as the 22 year old Jacobson, Scot Andrew Coltart, and Bristol's Andrew Sherborne made up ground.

Mitchell came to the last unaware that he needed a birdie to win, and was thinking only of securing his par four when he selected a nine iron for his pitch of 130 yards.

But his caddie Brendan McCartain persuaded him to change down to a pitching wedge and it was a wise choice. Mitchell's ball screwed back on the second bounce to within tap in distance, although for him the little putt was not a formality. "I was terrified of it because I had missed three short ones earlier," he said. "After what I went through out there it might be easier to get my next win, and I might make a better job of it."

Harrington was only two under par when he set out on the last stage, but birdies at the fourth where he had an eagle chance from five feet, and the ninth where he chipped in from 20 feet, got him out in 34. Then he added further birdies at the long 11th and 12th before his charge was halted by a poor wedge shot to the plateau green at the 14th. His ball's spun off the green and he fluffed his first recovery chip, before almost holing the second to escape with a bogey.

A seven iron to 12 feet at the short 15th and a good chip to a foot at the long 16th more than repaired the damage, only for Harrington to misclub at the short 17th and go over the green into the back bunker.

Philip Walton, who had 69, and Des Smyth, who closed with 68, both tied 20th on a three under par 213 worth £3,240. Walton, who celebrated his 35th birthday last Friday, looked as though he would have a week to remember when he went out in 32 with four birdies, had another at the 10th, and followed three putts on the next green by holing from 20 feet for an eagle three. But he took two shots to get out of a plugged lie in a greenside bunker at the 15th and another shot went astray at the last when he found his ball in a hole just off the green.