GRAEME STORM reacted to his biggest disappointment of the year by ending on a high in the Madeira Island Open last night, writes Paul Fraser.

After last week's failure to make the cut in the Estoril Portuguese Open - the first time he had missed the weekend's play in 2005 - Storm, erratic rather than superb over the four days, delivered a stunning Sunday display to force his way to a respectable finish.

He carded a final round 68, four under par, in Madeira to banish the memories of Saturday's horrible 74 and climbed from a struggling 49th to tie for 18th.

Only Swede Jarno Sandelin and eventual winner Robert-Jan Derksen, of Holland, (both 67) scored better than Storm yesterday.

The 27-year-old had bogeys at the 14th and the last, but birdies at the third, fifth, seventh, 11th, 13th and 16th more than compensated for his frustrations at the Santo de Serra club.

Storm, ranked 34 on the Volvo Order of Merit and aiming to retain his European Tour card as soon as possible, eventually finished ten adrift of Derksen but took another step closer to his £135,000 target by winning just over £5,000.

Published: 11/04/2005