SOnce again, a German golf professional has delivered the “how-out-of-nothing” story of the year. After Sophia Popov unexpectedly won the “Women’s Open Championship”, one of the five women’s majors, in Troon (Scotland) last year, Alex Cejka went one better on this coup. The German-Czech has barely reached the age of fifty when a professional who has been one of the followers on the American PGA Tour for almost twenty years becomes a major winner – and even twice.
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On Sunday Cejka won the Senior PGA Championship, one of the five most important tournaments of the PGA Tour Champions, at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Already three weeks earlier, the native of Marienbad caused the first big surprise at Regions Tradition.
Cejka, who has lived in Las Vegas since 2003, is the first professional since Jack Nicklaus to win two majors as a “rookie”, and even the very first newcomer to win the first two season highlights of the year. Switching to the “Best Agers” tour has paid off: The American by choice received 375,000 and 585,000 dollars for the two successes.
About the qualification in the field
Cejka’s unlikely success story began three weeks ago at Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama. Cejka had only moved into the field at the very last second. Because of his modest record on the PGA Tour, he did not have full playing rights in this over-50 tournament series. As with his first two participations, when he had finished 38th and second, he tried to move into the field via the Monday qualification. Cejka landed in second place and was allowed to move up after the cancellation of the American Jay Haas. He took the chance and defeated Steve Stricker in the jump-off with a birdie on the first extra hole.
Also on Sunday everything looked like another duel against the American Ryder Cup captain. Stricker had gone to the final round with the German with one stroke, but this time the professional from Wisconsin surprisingly collapsed completely.
After a final round of 77 strokes, he fell back to eleventh place. Cejka allowed himself a few mistakes, but caught himself and in the end won after a final round of 67 strokes (4 under par) with four strokes ahead of the American Tim Petrovic. Cejka thus qualified for the regular PGA Championship, which will be played on this very same course in Tulsa next year. Defending champion Phil Mickelson had won his first two appearances on the PGA Tour Champions with ease, but then focused again on the regular tour.
But even without him, big names can be found on this series for mature men. The South African Retief Goosen shared third place with the South Korean KJ Choi. Bernhard Langer, who has dominated this tournament series for many years and set the record of eleven wins in all five majors, only ended up in 50th place this time.
Nevertheless he waited together with Paul McGinley and several other colleagues at the 18th hole to celebrate this masterpiece together with Cejka. “It’s just unbelievable,” said the winner, “when you see all these big names on this trophy and then mine! A dream came true. I am super happy. It’s just an incredible feeling. “
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