Alex Cejka

In 1980, at the age of 9, Cejka and his father escaped from Czechoslovakia, traveling by foot, train, swimming, and bicycle to Yugoslavia, Italy, and Switzerland before settling down in Frankfurt, Germany. Two years later, Cejka took up golf and, by the age of 16, was good enough to finish fifth in the Austrian Amateur Open. Three years later, he turned professional and won his native Czech Open twice, in 1990 and 1992. After his sixth try in Q-school, he finally got his European Tour card in 1993. He played on that Tour full-time from 1994 until 2003 after earning his PGA Tour card in 2002 with a tie for 2nd at Q-School.
Along with his win in Puerto Rico, he has two runner-up finishes at the 2003 B.C. Open and 2004 at The International. He has had severe allergy issues most of his life, but they were worse in 2011, forcing him to take some time off and causing him to finish outside of the top 125 for the first time since joining the PGA Tour in 2003.
2012 Notes: He played out of a Major Medical Extension but failed to earn $323,264 in his first five PGA Tour starts to extend his exemption. Ended the year with 12 starts, a T-18th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, his best outing. Made two Korn Ferry Tour starts, making the cut at the Stadion Classic at UGA and finishing T57 in Athens, Ga. Finished 177th in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and 183rd on the money list. He returned to Q-School but finished T-32nd, meaning he had to play on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2013.
2013 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 21 in money - 11; top-10 finishes - 2; scoring average 70.34 (ranked 39th); money $84,772 (ranked 73); best finish, 6th United Leasing Championship. They played twice on the PGA Tour and missed the cut at AT&T Pebble Beach and Reno-Tahoe. Finished the year playing in four events on the Asian Tour, best finish T-12th King's Cup.
2014 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 15 in money - 11; top-10 finishes - 3; scoring average 70.02 (ranked 27th); money $276,448 (ranked 6th); best finish, win Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship. He officially secured his 2014-15 PGA Tour card after the regular season in late August (sixth on the money list), setting up his return to the PGA Tour, where he last played in 2012.
2015 Notes: He claimed his first PGA Tour win by making a 20-foot putt for a birdie-4 on the first playoff hole to defeat Sam Saunders, Emiliano Grillo, Jon Curran, and Tim Petrovic at the Puerto Rico Open. The last five-man playoff on Tour was at the 2005 BellSouth Classic, won by Phil Mickelson. Earned the victory at age 44 years, 3 months, 6 days in his 287th career Tour start. He is the third oldest first-time winner on Tour since 1970, behind Ed Dougherty and Ken Duke. The win was his only top ten of the year; his next-best finish is T-11th at the Shell Houston Open. In 30 starts, he made 18 cuts; he was 71st in the FedExCup standings and 79th on the money list.
2016 Notes: Cejka played in 22 PGA Tour events, making 15 cuts and four top-ten finishes. He was 83rd in the FedExCup race. He started his year with a T-2nd at the Shriners Hospitals, one back of winner Smylie Kaufman. He also had a T-6th at the RSM Classic, a T-9th at the Players, and a T-5th at the RBC Candian Open. Cejka represented Germany at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, finishing T-21st in the 60-player field.
2017 Notes: He played in 28 PGA Tour events, making 16 cuts and one top-ten finish. He was 149th in the FedExCup points list. His best finish was T-9th at the Greenbrier Classic.
2018 Notes: Played in 24 PGA Tour events, making 16 cuts with two top-ten finishes. He was 108th on the FedExCup points list. He posted a 72-hole score of 9-under 275 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, suitable for a spot in the playoff with Whee Kim and eventual champion Patrick Cantlay, who won on the second extra hole. He began the final round eight strokes back, but the Las Vegas resident (who was making his 12th start in the event) posted the low round of the week with an 8-under 63. He birdied four of his last six holes on the final day to get into the playoff. The T2 finish marked his best showing on the PGA TOUR since he finished runner-up at the 2015 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The following week was T-9th at the Mayakoba Classic. He made the playoffs in the first event and was T-56th at the Northern Trust.
2019 Notes: Played in 22 PGA Tour events, making 8 cuts with two top-25 finishes. It was 203rd on the FedExCup points list. Their best finish was T-13th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, partnered with Alex Prugh. His best individual finish was T-18th at the Barracuda Championship.
2020 & 2021 Notes: Played both the PGA and Korn Ferry tours. In nine PGA Tour starts in 2020, his best finish was T-32nd at the AT&T Pebble Beach. In 2021 has played in four PGA Tour events; his best finish was T-43rd at the Corales Puntacana. In ten 2020/21 Korn Ferry Tour starts, his best finish was T-38th at the Orange County National. He turned 50, and his first PGA Tour Champions start was a T-38th at the 2021 Colguard Classic. His second start was T-2nd at the Chubb Classic, a shot back of winner Steve Stricker. In his third start won the Regions Tradition. He was the 2nd round leader and shot 66-67 over the weekend to tie with Steve Stricker. Cejka won with a birdie at the first playoff hole. Cejka started the week as the first alternate and gained entry after Jay Haas withdrew. With the victory, everything changed in Cejka's life as he became fully exempt from the PGA Tour Champions until the end of the 2022 Season. It was Cejka's first professional win in 129 starts, dating back to the 2015 Puerto Rico Open, and broke a winless streak of 6 years, 2 months, and 1 day. Cejka played in 19 events in the 2020/21 Champions Tour season with seven top-ten finishes. He was 10th on the Money List with $1,855,610 and 13th in the Schwab Cup rankings. Three weeks after his Regions victory in his fifth Champions start, he was back in the winner's circle at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Cejka shot a final-round 67 at Southern Hills to beat Tim Petrovic by four shots. With the win, Cejka became the first PGA Tour Champions player to win his first two major starts since Arnold Palmer (1980-81) and the first rookie to win two majors since Jack Nicklaus in 1990. Shot a final-round 66 at the Boeing Classic to finish T-5th, two shots back of winner Rod Pampling. He started the final round of the 2021 Sanford International two shots behind the leader after scores of 67-64 but shot 71 in the final round to finish T-7th four shots back of the Darren Clarke/KJ. Choi/Steve Flesch playoff. The Pure Insurance Championship started the final round with birdies on four of the first five holes and shot 68 to finish T-2nd and two shots back of winner K.J. Choi. Despite playing his first 36 holes bogey-free at the SAS Championship, he shot 70 in the final round to finish T-3rd and a shot back of the Lee Janzen/Miguel Angel Jimenez playoff. He ended the season T-18th at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Also played in four Legends Tour events in 2021 winning the Kitchenaid Senior PGA Championship.
2022 Notes: Played in 26 PGA Tour Champions events with seven top-ten finishes. He was 10th in the Schwab rankings and 10th on the money list with earnings of $1,320,064. Shot final round 67 to finish T-2nd at the Rapiscan Systems Classic, six shots back of winner Steven Alker. It was Cejka's sixth top-three finish in his first 24 Champions Tour starts. Shot 66 in the final round to finish 4th at the Insperity Invitational, seven shots back of winner Steven Alker. He returned to Southern Hills and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. He was T-5th at the Senior Players Championship, five shots back of the winner Jerry Kelly. Shot a final round 66 at the Shaw Charity Classic to finish T-3rd, one shot back of the Jerry Kelly/John Huston playoff. He was T-10th at Dick's Sporting Goods Open and T-5th at the SAS Championship. Birdied six of his last seven holes on Sunday to close with a back-nine 31. In the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship finished 2nd, seven shots back of winner Padraig Harrington. Also played in four Legends Tour events, winning the JCB Championship.
2023 Notes: Played in 27 PGA Tour Champions events with 12 top-ten finishes. He was 9th in the Schwab rankings and 9th on the money list with earnings of $1,655,683. Finished T-6th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai at 16-under. Opened with 66-64 to sit in second place entering the final round before closing with 70 finishing seven shots back of winner Steve Stricker. He was T-10th at the Trophy Hassan II and Chubb Classic. He was 3rd at the Invited Celebrity Classic after leading going into the final round. Shot 72 in that round was a shot back of the Mark Hensby/Charlie Wi playoff. T-9th at the Regions Tradition. Finished T9 at the U.S. Senior Open after posting 72-73-68-71. Used booked 67s to finish T-9th at the Kaulig Companies Championship. Captured his third career victory on PGA Tour Champions with a win at the Senior Open and his third major victory on this Tour. In a tournament with severe winds and rain, Cejka managed a five-over 289 for the tournament, which earned a playoff with Padraig Harrington, which Cejka won on the third hole of a sudden death playoff, making a birdie to Harrington's par. Cejka held the solo third-round lead entering the final round at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Wales, before a final round 76 (+5). Opened with 63 at Sanford International before shooting back-to-back 68s on the weekend en route to a T-5th finish. Finished 9th at the TimberTech Championship after shooting 70-68-69. Was T-8th in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2024 Notes: He was T-3rd in the weather-shortened Chubb Classic, four shots back of winner Stephen Ames. He was T-5th at the Cologuard Classic, two shots back of winner Joe Durant. He was T-2nd at the Galleri Classic, a shot back of winner Retief Goosen. He was T-16th at the U.S. Senior Open.