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German cool triumphed over English aggression in a shoot-out once again as Bernhard Langer beat Warren Bennett in a sudden death play-off to take his third Dutch Open title and put one foot firmly in Europe's Ryder Cup camp.

Langer showed his clinical qualities to keep alongside his opponent throughout the day and then watched his playing partner in today's final round, miss a four-foot putt that would have sent the duel beyond the first extra hole.

It provided Langer with his second win at the links course, Noordwijkes, his second via a play-off and a cheque for £182,913.

But more importantly for the man controversially left out of the Ryder Cup by Mark James in 1999, the 300,000 qualifying points he has reaped sends him into the 10 automatic places for the match at The Belfry in just under nine weeks.

Langer has made no secret of the fact that he was under pressure to produce a high finish in this tournament, his final one before the USPGA on August 16, admitting that Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik would probably be the men that win current captain Sam Torrance's two wildcard selections.

He will now take a two-week break after playing four consecutive events, in the knowledge that he is up to seventh from 14th in the standings.

With the top 12 in the Ryder Cup race invited into the NEC Invitational in America a week after the final major of the year, an exclusive event where a minimum of 20,000 points can be picked up, Langer will now almost certainly be participating against the United States for a 10th time.

"It's great to be in the Ryder Cup at the moment and hopefully for good," said Langer, who played in the final pairing for the second time in seven days, following his round with Open winner David Duval last week.

"I got a phone call from Sam straight after I walked off the course, congratulating me on making the team and helping him out.

"He only has two wildcard picks and he probably wishes he had three or four."

Overnight leader Bennett, of Kent, shaved the hole with his first putt in the play-off and left himself with the same distance he had dealt with a quarter-of-an-hour earlier to ensure the showdown.

But he somehow dribbled it around the lip, to settle for a runner-up's spot for the second time this season following his second place to Vijay Singh in the Singapore Masters.

"I was fine over that last putt," said Bennett, 29, who returned to the European Tour this year after a neck injury threatened to end his career in 2000.

"I was more nervous on the last tee, it was just one of those things.

"I hit a good putt but just too firm."

They had both finished on 15 under par for the tournament, Langer carding a 66 and Bennett a 67, four shots clear of the field.

An amazing run for the resilient German closed the two-shot gap that had opened up between the pair with eight holes to play.

Both men notched eagles at the par-five, 502-yard 11th and turned the championship race into an exclusive tussle once Miguel Angel Jimenez's putting let him down with three consecutive birdie chances for the Spaniard to finish on 11 under.

Langer prevented a double bogey at the 14th with a brilliantly judged long putt and continued his momentum with three consecutive birdies via some breathtaking play on the greens, the last from all of 30 feet.

"I played my best golf for the last five or six holes. It tells me I can play good shots under the highest pressure there is," Langer added.

"In a situation like that you know every shot is going to count for something. I knew I had to produce some perfect shots and make birdies."

Jimenez, who had taken the lead during the back nine, claimed third place to move to 11th in the Ryder Cup standings, despite missing three consecutive birdie putts at the last three holes.

Collated final-round scores (Gbr and Irl unless stated, x denotes amateur, par 71)

269 B Langer (Ger) 69 67 67 66, W Bennett 68 67 67 67 (Langer won at first play-off hole)

273 MA Jimenez (Spa) 71 65 71 66

274 A Hansen (Den) 69 67 75 63, R Russell 68 68 69 69, B Lane 71 67 66 70

275 R Gonzalez (Arg) 67 65 75 68, G Turner (Nzl) 68 65 71 71

276 S Leaney (Aus) 71 67 70 68, A Oldcorn 70 65 72 69, P Harrington 67 67 71 71

277 E Els (Rsa) 68 70 75 64, I Garbutt 69 71 71 66

278 R Winchester 72 66 72 68, P O'Malley (Aus) 73 68 69 68, H Bjornstad (Nor) 73 64 72 69, G Evans 69 71 69 69, P Baker 66 68 74 70, R Jacquelin (Fra) 68 71 69 70

279 S Gardiner (Aus) 68 73 71 67, S Webster 71 69 71 68, B Dredge 70 70 71 68, D Robertson 66 68 72 73

280 D Terblanche (Rsa) 69 71 74 66, D Botes (Rsa) 69 70 70 71, J Senden (Aus) 69 70 69 72, P Walton 69 68 70 73, TJ Munoz (Spa) 74 67 65 74

281 M Jonzon (Swe) 68 68 76 69, R Chapman 70 69 72 70, J Haeggman (Swe) 70 69 71

282 P Fowler (Aus) 69 71 72 70, P Hanson (Swe) 70 69 72 71, S Hansen (Den) 70 71 70 71, M McNulty (Zim) 71 67 72 72, R Muntz (Ned) 71 68 71 72, J Spence 69 70 70 73, R Sterne (Rsa) 67 67 73 75, D Fichardt (Rsa) 68 66 70 78

283 J Moseley (Aus) 67 73 74 69, C Cevaer (Fra) 70 67 72 74, P Nyman (Swe) 73 67 69 74, D Higgins 70 71 67 75, P McGinley 71 70 67 75

284 A Baddeley (Aus) 72 69 74 69, A Coltart 66 69 79 70, J Lomas 70 68 76 70, D Park 68 72 74 70, S Dodd 70 71 72 71, G Havret (Fra) 72 69 72 71, J Bickerton 70 69 73 72, F Andersson (Swe) 71 68 73 72, A Forsyth 70 71 71 72, G Orr 71 68 72 72, D Lee 72 68 70 74

285 JM Carriles (Spa) 69 72 73 72, P Quirici (Swi) 67 72 73 73, D Clarke 68 70 73 74, G Storm 71 68 71 75

286 O Karlsson (Swe) 67 70 74 75, M Lundberg (Swe) 67 72 69 78

287 (x) N Boysen (Ned) 64 75 77 71

288 C Suneson (Spa) 69 70 76 73, C Pottier (Fra) 68 72 73 75, M Roe 69 69 73 77

289 H Otto (Rsa) 71 70 74 74, J Steenkamer (Ned) 75 64 75 75, M Bernardini (Ita) 69 71 72 77

290 E Darcy 70 71 76 73, E Boult (Nzl) 74 63 75 78

291 G Brand jnr 72 69 77 73