Alex Cejka of Germany probably didn’t go to bed Saturday night thinking he could shoot a 76 on Sunday and win The Senior Open Championship.
But Cejka, the 54-hole leader, playing with rain falling and the winds gusting up to 40 mph, did just that to win the championship at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Bridgend, Wales — his third career major title on the Champions Tour.
As if five bogeys and a double bogey mixed among two birdies weren’t enough drama for Cejka, he had to survive a two-hole, sudden death playoff against Padraig Harrington of Ireland to win.
Cejka’s tournament total of 5-over par 289 matched the highest of any PGA Tour Champions winner since Arnold Palmer at the 1981 U.S. Senior Open.
Despite the dreadful conditions that deteriorated as the day wore on, two-time Open champion Harrington missed a putt for eagle and birdied the par-5 18th hole to finish with a 75 and force the playoff.
Cejka birdied the second playoff hole while Harrington had to settle for par after leaving his chip shot from off the green well short of the hole.
“I still can’t believe it,” Cejka said. “It’s been a really tough week. It’s been a really tough two days. I can’t believe I’m standing with the trophy here. Seeing all those great names on the trophy, coming in here with all the pictures and everything, all the guys who won it before me, and now holding it myself, it’s surreal.”
This is the second Champions major Harrington has lost in a playoff this season, with Steve Stricker beating him to win the Senior PGA Championship in May in Frisco, Texas.
But Royal Porthcawl was even more unforgiving on Sunday than it was on Saturday, and nobody broke par for the second straight day. That marked the first time since the 1999 Open Championship that a PGA Tour or Champions Tour event saw multiple rounds where the lowest score was par.
The final round scoring average of 78.515 on Sunday was the third-highest by Champions players since 1980.
“I tried to make good shots but it’s almost impossible to make good shots in conditions like this,” Cejka said with a chuckle. “In the end I lost it a little bit. I didn’t make really good shots coming in but I made some beautiful par saves. I didn’t want a playoff, especially against Padraig, but I’m glad it’s over and I’m just super happy.”
Cejka entered the fourth round with a one-stroke lead over Harrington, Phillip Archer of England, former World No. 1 Vijay Singh of Fiji and second-round leader Steven Alker of New Zealand.
Singh fired a 6-over 77 to finish third at 7 over par, his best spot on the leaderboard since a T3 at the 2022 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
Michael Jonzon of Sweden shot 75 to finish fourth at 8 over. He’s competed in three Champions events. Phillip Price of Wales, making his tour debut, shot 76 to finish tied for fifth with Archer (79) at 9 over.
–Field Level Media