Ryder Cup partners Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer dramatically shared the Volvo Masters title in Spain after darkness brought an end to their play-off.

The two stars had tied on the three under par total of 281, then played two holes of sudden death. But standing on the next tee and with the light rapidly disappearing it was obvious that they could not continue.

European tour bosses Ken Schofield and George O'Grady hastily met with the sponsors to discuss the situation and the players were given the chance to agree a tie, which they duly did.

Langer was involved the last time it happened on the circuit - at the 1986 Lancome Trophy in Paris. There he played six extra holes with Seve Ballesteros before darkness fell.

After what many will see as an unsatisfactory end to the final event of the domestic season, one which confirmed Retief Goosen as leading money-winner for the second year running, Montgomerie, still to win a play-off in eight attempts in Europe, said: "I think it's very fitting that this tournament be tied and we were the ones to tie it.

"It would have been unfair for one of us to win it - not that I meant to pull my 10-foot putt on the 10th."

He was referring to the second play-off hole on the same green which had earlier produced the other main talking-point of the day.

Montgomerie had missed a five-foot par putt there earlier, but then there was a debate about whether he had touched a moving ball before holing out.

He was told about the matter two holes later by chief referee John Paramor and at the end of the round - after he had missed an eight-footer to win on the final green - he was confronted by tournament director David Garland.

Montgomerie was furious that before the play-off could start he had to be taken to the television compound. He was cleared of any infringement, but he needed time to cool down.

At the first extra hole he could have won again by chipping in, but just missed and after his next miss it was agree that they each take home £277,775. Outright victory would have been worth £333,330.

Langer commented: "We both played great and both deserved to win, but Mother Nature would not allow us to continue."

A tie, though, meant Montgomerie maintained his record of at least one win in Europe every year since 1992 - his last success was August last year - and Langer had his 42nd victory on the circuit.

One shot ahead overnight, Welshman Bradley Dredge had the unexpected bonus of a 50-foot birdie putt on the first while Montgomerie bogeyed it, but bogeys at the seventh and ninth meant he turned level with Argentina's Angel Cabrera.

A two-putt birdie on the long 11th put the Tredegar-born golfer alone in front again, while Langer joined Cabrera on two under with a 12-foot eagle putt at the same hole and 10-footer for birdie on the 13th.

Montgomerie, one behind after an outward 36, had bogeyed the 10th, but matched Dredge's birdie on the next and pitched to four feet at the 13th.

When Cabrera ended his run of pars with a three-putt bogey at the short 15th it left Langer and Montgomerie snapping at Dredge's heels.

The world number 92 did well to save par from off the green at the 14th, but he was bunkered on the next, came out 12 feet short and missed.

That produced a three-way tie with Montgomerie and Langer, but entering the closing stretch it was the two experienced men who raised their games.

Montgomerie made a 20-footer on the 16th, then Langer, having driven in the bunker on the 17th, hit his third to eight feet and made it to draw level again.

Then came more drama as Montgomerie's drive on the hole flew into the trees down the right, but came out again in the clear. He then laid up and played a brilliant pitch to four feet.

When the putt went in he was ahead on his own and it remained that way when Langer's 12-foot birdie attempt on the last agonisingly hung on the edge.

So Montgomerie needed a par, but his drive went through the fairway into the rough, his second rested against the collar of rough by the green and his putt came up eight feet short.

Then he was met by tour officials and the day took another twist.

What was certain by this stage was that Dredge finished third and so is still waiting for his first tour win, while joint fourth were Australian Peter O'Malley and Cabrera, who had bogeyed the last two holes.

Collated final totals in the Volvo Masters Andalucia at Valderrama, Spain (Gbr and Irl unless stated, par 71):

281 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 71 71 72 67, Colin Montgomerie 70 69 72 70 (title shared after two play-off holes because of darkness. Langer and Montgomerie win £277,775 each)

283 Bradley Dredge 68 71 71 73 (£125,200)

285 Peter O'Malley (Aus) 72 69 75 69, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 63 72 76 74 (£92,400 each)

286 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 74 77 66 (£70,000)

287 Adam Scott (Aus) 72 73 70 72, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 70 75 73 (£55,000 each)

288 Darren Clarke 73 69 75 71, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 72 67 77 72 (£42,400 each)

289 Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 75 71 74 (£36,000)

290 Anders Hansen (Den) 76 70 73 71 (£33,400)

291 Richard Green (Aus) 70 74 78 69, Thomas Levet (Fra) 70 75 75 71, Ian Woosnam 73 72 73 73, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 77 69 74, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 69 72 75 75

292 Ian Poulter 73 75 73 71, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 73 69 76 74, Justin Rose 71 69 73 79

293 David Gilford 72 71 79 71, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 77 74 71 71, Steen Tinning (Den) 68 80 72 73, Stephen Leaney (Aus) 73 68 77 75, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 68 72 74 79

294 Gary Evans 76 74 74 70, Alastair Forsyth 75 73 74 72

295 Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 71 74 80 70, Soren Hansen (Den) 71 71 82 71, Paul Lawrie 72 73 79 71, Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 76 74 72 73, Brian Davis 68 81 72 74, Phillip Price 67 73 75 80

296 Sandy Lyle 76 76 75 69, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 73 74 78 71

297 Padraig Harrington 74 76 74 73, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 70 77 73 77, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 71 71 75 80

298 Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 70 77 76 75, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 81 70 72 75, Greg Owen 74 68 79 77, Henrik Bjornstad (Nor) 75 72 74 77, Rolf Muntz (Ned) 75 74 72 77, Richard Johnson (Swe) 74 67 79 78, Simon Dyson 68 74 76 80

299 Barry Lane 73 73 79 74, Malcolm Mackenzie 71 73 76 79

300 John Bickerton 75 77 77 71, Tobias Dier (Ger) 75 76 77 72, Andrew Coltart 72 78 75 75, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 75 71 77 77, Costantino Rocca (Ita) 72 73 75 80

301 Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 72 77 77 75, Peter Fowler (Aus) 77 75 73 76

302 Paul Casey 81 71 76 74, Jamie Spence 72 76 78 76, Graeme McDowell 72 81 69 80

303 Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 73 83 76 71

304 Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 75 73 78 78

305 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 78 76 79 72, Paul McGinley 76 77 78 74, David Gleeson (Aus) 74 81 75 75, Nick Dougherty 76 76 76 77, Tony Johnstone (Zim) 78 78 71 78

308 Lee Westwood 76 73 81 78