GOLF: The world can start spinning again, and the golfing gods can stop mocking. In quite unreal circumstances, and with darkness enveloping the course to confirm that night does indeed follow day, the natural order of things was restored at Valderrama last evening.
After two play-off holes failed to find an outright winner, Colin Montgomerie - extending a record going back to 1993 of having won at least one tournament a season on the European Tour - and Bernhard Langer called a truce and were declared joint-winners of the Volvo Masters.
It was a gesture that ensured there were winners all round. As the two shook hands on the 18th tee, under the branches of one of the cork oak trees that are everywhere on this course, it brought down the curtain on the European Tour season.
As it was a year ago, Retief Goosen won the Order of Merit title; but the final counting tournament was to be claimed by Montgomerie and Langer, giving both their first successes of the year, and was called "highly appropriate" given how the pair had performed so well together in the Ryder Cup.
Not since 1986, in the Lancome Trophy, has a title been shared in such a manner; and, rather bizarrely, Langer provided a common thread. Back then, the German shared the title with Severiano Ballesteros. This time, claiming his 42nd tour title, Langer shared the crown with Montgomerie.
On a day when a stiff wind and firm greens turned Valderrama into what Padraig Harrington described as "an extreme test," the overnight leader, Bradley Dredge, who was to finish third and claim his 10th top-10 finish of the season, was overtaken by the two war horses.
As many players were tormented by the wind, with scores rising into the 80s, Langer - who included an eagle and two birdies in an error-free journey around the back nine on his way to a 67 - and Montgomerie - who blocked out a pending inquiry in to whether or not he had addressed a moving ball on the 10th green to mix four birdies with two bogeys on that same stretch in shooting a final round 70 - each finished on three-under-par 281, two shots clear of Dredge who was the only other player in the field to finish under par.
That incident on the 10th green would have played on the minds of lesser men than Montgomerie. As he walked from the 12th tee, he was informed by tournament referee John Paramor that there was a potential problem. Monty's response was to birdie three of the next five holes, and only a bogey on the last - after he had pushed his tee-shot right and then put his approach through the green - deprived him of an outright win.
It was only when Montgomerie went into the recorder's hut that the incident on the 10th was addressed, and the Scot was requested to accompany Paramor to the television compound to view tapes of the incident.
"On tape, the ball appeared to move. The question was, had I addressed the ball, or hadn't I? The answer was no. John is tough but fair and he was right to inform me out on the course, sooner rather than later. But I knew that I hadn't made an infringement," insisted Montgomerie.
What may have played on Montgomerie's mind more was his dreadful record in play-offs. Since joining the European Tour in 1987 - and during a spell when he completely dominated it, winning seven successive Order of Merits from 1993 to 1999 - Montgomerie had the distinction of never having won a play-off. Prior to yesterday, his record was played seven, lost seven.
So, even though this was technically a tie, Montgomerie was adamant afterwards that it would go down as a "win" - if only to accentuate the feel good factor of finally having won an event this season. "I'm just glad I performed again," said Montgomerie.
The play-off was surreal. Langer, playing two groups ahead and who had waited in the recorder's hut to see how things would evolve after 72 holes, was able to briefly retreat to hit some shots on the range while the play-off was delayed by Montgomerie's visit to view the television tapes. On the first play-off hole, the 18th, Langer missed the fairway left, while Montgomerie split the middle. But Langer played a great recovery shot to the green, and the hole was halved in pars.
Likewise, on the second play-off hole, the 10th, it appeared that Montgomerie had the advantage after the German's tee-shot was pulled left. Again, however, he played a fine recovery shot to 25 feet. Montgomerie followed him in, to 12 feet. When Langer's putt slipped by the hole, it meant that Montgomerie, in fast fading light, had a birdie putt to win. He pulled it wide of the cup.
By now, darkness was enveloping the course. In an attempt to prolong the play-off, the floodlights around the 18th green - the third play-off hole - were switched on and the lights of golf carts were turned on around the tee. But, in truth, any further play was a hopeless dream and, when the futility of it all was recognised, the two agreed to share the title rather than return today to continue the play-off. Each received €435,648 and the promise that a replica Waterford Crystal trophy would be made so that each would have one.
Darren Clarke, meanwhile, proved to be the best of the Irish players, firing a closing round 71 for four-over-par 288, giving him a tied-ninth finish. Padraig Harrington bogeyed the final two holes for a 73, finishing in tied-36th on 13-over-par 297.
(Br and Irl unless stated, Irish bold, par 71):
281 - BLanger (Ger) 71 71 72 67, C Montgomerie 70 69 72 70 (title shared after two play-off holes because of darkness. Langer and Montgomerie win £277,775 each).
283 - B Dredge 68 71 71 73 (£125,200).
285 - P O'Malley (Aus) 72 69 75 69, A Cabrera (Arg) 63 72 76 74 (£92,400 each).
286 - J Sandelin (Swe) 69 74 77 66 (£70,000).
287 - A Scott (Aus) 72 73 70 72, S Garcia (Spa) 69 70 75 73 (£55,000 each).
288 - D Clarke 73 69 75 71, R Karlsson (Swe) 72 67 77 72 (£42,400 each).
289 - A Cejka (Ger) 69 75 71 74 (£36,000)
290 - A Hansen (Den) 76 70 73 71 (£33,400).
291- R Green (Aus) 70 74 78 69, T Levet (Fra) 70 75 75 71, I Woosnam 73 72 73 73, N Fasth (Swe) 71 77 69 74, M Lafeber (Ned) 69 72 75 75.
292 - I Poulter 73 75 73 71, J M Olazabal (Spa) 73 69 76 74, J Rose 71 69 73 79.
293 - D Gilford 72 71 79 71, T Bjorn (Den) 77 74 71 71, S Tinning (Den) 68 80 72 73, S Leaney (Aus) 73 68 77 75, F Jacobson (Swe) 68 72 74 79.
294 - G Evans 76 74 74 70, A Forsyth 75 73 74 72.
295 - J Moseley (Aus) 71 74 80 70, S Hansen (Den) 71 71 82 71, P Lawrie 72 73 79 71, J Haeggman (Swe) 76 74 72 73, B Davis 68 81 72 74, P Price 67 73 75 80.
296 - S Lyle 76 76 75 69, R Goosen (Rsa) 73 74 78 71.
297 - P Harrington 74 76 74 73, C Pettersson (Swe) 70 77 73 77, E Romero (Arg) 71 71 75 80.
298 - I Garrido (Spa) 70 77 76 75, M A Jimenez (Spa) 81 70 72 75, G Owen 74 68 79 77, H Bjornstad (Nor) 75 72 74 77, R Muntz (Ned) 75 74 72 77, R Johnson (Swe) 74 67 79 78, S Dyson 68 74 76 80.
299 - B Lane 73 73 79 74, M Mackenzie 71 73 76 79.
300 - J Bickerton 75 77 77 71, T Dier (Ger) 75 76 77 72, A Coltart 72 78 75 75, E Canonica (Ita) 75 71 77 77, C Rocca (Ita) 72 73 75 80.
301 - T Immelman (Rsa) 72 77 77 75, P Fowler (Aus) 77 75 73 76 .
302 - P Casey 81 71 76 74, J Spence 72 76 78 76, G McDowell 72 81 69 80 303 C Rodiles (Spa) 73 83 76 71.
304 - J-F Remesy (Fra) 75 73 78 78.
305 - R Gonzalez (Arg) 78 76 79 72, P McGinley 76 77 78 74, D Gleeson (Aus) 74 81 75 75, N Dougherty 76 76 76 77, T Johnstone (Zim) 78 78 71 78.
308 - L Westwood 76 73 81 78.
TOUR ORDER OF MERIT STANDINGS
1. R Goosen (Rsa) €2,369,127.64
2. P Harrington (Irl) €2,334,655.45
3. E Els (Rsa) €2,251,708.28
4. C Montgomerie (Sco) €1,980,719.95
5. E Romero (Arg) €1,811,329.95
6. S Garcia (Spa) €1,488,728.30
7. A Scott (Aus) €1,361,775.88
8. M Campbell (Nzl) €1,325,403.70
9. J Rose (Eng) €1,323,528.84
10. PLawrie (Sco) €1,151,433.92
11. A Cabrera (Arg) €1,128, 913.50
12. T Bjorn (Den) €1,110,213.16
13. J M Olazabal (Spa) €1,066,082.90
14. T Immelman (Rsa) €1,064,085.90
15. S Leaney (Aus) €1,055,029.02
16. A Hansen (Den) €1,047,920.33
17. N Fasth (Swe) €982, 849.04
18. B Dredge (Wal) €961,211.53
19. B Langer (Ger) €947,232.58
20. S Hansen (Den) €932,789.01
