Checkmate For Cejka Defeating Harrington To Capture Third Major

2 years ago by Comments Off on Checkmate For Cejka Defeating Harrington To Capture Third Major

It was a victory checkmate for Alex Cejka birdieing the second extra hole to defeat Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and capture the Senior British Open title at Royal Porthcawl.

Cejka, 52, made is a third Seniors major after capturing the 2021 Regions Tradition on his Seniors Tour debut, and a fortnight later the German won the 2021 Seniors PGA Championship.

Now after birdieing the second extra hole over Harrington, Cejka has captured a third Seniors major leaving just the Seniors US Open and Senios Players Championship win all five of the over-50s men’s majors.

Germany’s Alex Cejka makes it a third Senior Major championship with his play-off triumph at Royal Portcawl.

Cejka and Harrington had finished tied on five over par following a final round played in brutal wet and windy conditions on the famed Welsh links gem, and with the conditions being so bad even Justin Thomas put out a Tweet expressing his support of the players …. see below 

Harrington, who also finished runner-up to Darren Clarke last year, narrowly missed an eagle putt on the first extra hole and could only make par when the players returned to the 18th after duffing a chip from the back of the green.

Cejka went into the last round leading by just a shot and kick-started his last day with a sloppy double bogey on the first and then dropped another shot on the fourth, but bravely battled back to hold a two-shot lead with two holes to play.

A bogey on the 17th didn’t help Cejka ane with Harrington birdieing the last to force the major, and first staged in 1987 into extra time.

“Wow, what a week. What a day,” said Cejka.

“It’s incredible. I still can’t believe that I’m here. Beating Padraig in a play-off, such a great player, but I’m glad I did it and I’m super happy.”

Cejka carded a final round of 76 and Harrington returned a 75, with YE Yang and Rob Labritz the only players able to match the par of 71.

Aussie lefty Richard Green, who was three shots behind Cejka going into the final round, couldn’t challenge for the prestigious title, with a quadruple bogey eight at the first hole effectively ending his chances immediately.

He ended with a seven-over 78 to finish in a four-way tie for seventh at 10 over for the championship.

Of note, not a single player broke par over the weekend and the five-over total required for a place in the play-off was the same as the halfway cut.



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