GRAEME STORM is closing in on the top 60 in the Race to Dubai rankings after recording his highest finish in ten months at the Italian Open.

Back-to-back 69s over the weekend propelled Storm back up the leaderboard at the Royal Park Golf Club in Turin to secure tied seventh place.

Storm ended six off Swedish winner Frederik Andersson Hed who claimed his first European Tour title at the 245th attempt after almost letting slip a six-shot lead.

But Storm did enough to secure a cheque of around £32,000, which has boosted his season’s earnings to £82,000.

The Hartlepool golfer would have been even better placed had he not bogeyed the 16th yesterday, but the birdies at the second, eighth, 11th and 15th ensured he finished alongside Stephen Dodd and Hennie Otto on ten under par.

His return to form, after missing the cut in Spain last week, led to him climbing 28 places in the Race to Dubai rankings and up to 95th.

It was the first time he had even come close to matching his fourth place finish at the Moravia Selesia Open in the Czech Republic last July.

He is now unlikely to travel to Mallorca this week for the Iberdrola Open at the Pula Golf Club, but he will be satisfied with his return to form.

■ See The Northern Echo website this week for Graeme Storm’s exclusive blog.