Volvo Masters take two champions in its stride

In fading light, the two Ryder Cup players then squared the 18th and 10th play-off holes before taking up the offer by European Tour executive director Ken Schofield to share the title.

“There was no way we could continue,” said Langer, Volvo Masters champion in 1994. “I couldn’t see how far I was standing from the ball and I saw that Colin felt the same way.

“We were even trying to bring a buggy out there with lights, but it was really getting ridiculous. We both agreed it was the right thing to do (to share the title).”

Montgomerie, who successfully teamed up with Langer during Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph over the United States at The Belfry in late September, fully agreed. “There was no way we could play and, when Ken Schofield came on the radio, very quickly we shook hands,” he said. “I think it’s appropriate this year, in a Ryder Cup year and a Ryder Cup victory for Europe, that my partner and I should share this trophy.”

It was only the second time a European Tour event had been tied and the first occasion also involved Langer. The 1986 Lancome Trophy was shared by the German and Seve Ballesteros at Saint Nom-la-Breteche when the players could not be separated after six extra holes.

Although the final event of the season ended in an unusual deadlock, Retief Goosen had earlier clinched the European order of merit title with a closing round of level-par 71.

Montgomerie had missed an eight-foot putt for par at the 72nd hole to secure outright victory as he closed with a one-under-par 70, and missed another birdie chance from 12 feet at the second extra hole.

Langer, who began the last day four shots off the lead, collected two birdies and an eagle-three in the last eight holes for a final-round 67.

The two play-off holes were briefly delayed, though, when John Paramor, the European Tour’s chief referee, conferred with 1993 winner Montgomerie over a possible infringement by the Scot at the 10th green.

Paramor had been alerted, via television, to the chance that Montgomerie’s putter head had accidentally addressed the rolling ball soon after the player had missed a par-putt from five feet. But Paramor’s final ruling was that no infringement had occurred and Montgomerie scaped a possible two-shot penalty.

Welshman Bradley Dredge, the unlikely leader after the third round, faded from contention over the last nine holes, a final-round 73 leaving him in third place at one-under 283.

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, pace setter over the first two days, carded a 74 to tie for fourth at one-over 285 — level with Australian Peter O’Malley, who shot a 69.

Briton Montgomerie, joint-second with Cabrera overnight, initially struggled to get momentum going in the blustery conditions, reaching the turn in one-over-par 36.

At the 389-yard 10th, he missed a five-foot putt to save his par but he birdied the next to get back to one under overall.

A wedge-approach to four feet at the 13th earned the Scot his third birdie of the day — and a three-way tie for the lead with Cabrera and Langer — before the intervention of Paramor hinted at a possible penalty.

Langer, joint-fifth after the third round, vaulted into contention by sinking a 12-foot eagle putt at the 547-yard 11th and further birdies at 13 and 17, where he hit his approach to 12 feet, lifted the German to three under.

But Montgomerie hit back with birdies of his own on 16 and 17 before his missed par-putt at the last took the tournament into a play-off.

Only three players in the elite field of 65 finished below par on the last day, although Swede Jarmo Sandelin fired a superb five-under-par 66 — the lowest score of the round.

Earlier Goosen became only the seventh player to retain the European money list crown, firing a 71 to finish at 12-over-par 296.

He follows in the footsteps of Englishmen Charlie Ward (1949) and Peter Oosterhuis (1972, 1973 and 1974), Ireland’s Christy O’Connor (1962), Spaniard Seve Ballesteros (1977, 1987) and Scotsmen Sandy Lyle (1980) and Colin Montgomerie (from 1994 to 1999) in successfully defending the European Tour’s order of merit crown. (Reuters)