Cejka ends barren spell with sweet victory in Lancome
Cejka carded a closing round 68 at St Nom La Breteche for a 12 under par total of 272 and two-shot win over Spain’s Carlos Rodiles, France’s Jean-Francois Lucquin and Argentinian Angel Cabrera sharing third a shot further back.
Ian Woosnam’s brilliant third round 65 had put him just one off the lead at the start of the day, but the Welshman could only card a one over 72 to finish joint 13th after twice finding the water which separates the ninth and 18th greens.
The victory was Cejka’s first on the European Tour since 1995, when he won three times, including the prestigious Volvo Masters, to finish sixth on the Order of Merit.
‘‘It’s unbelievable,’’ said Cejka, who fled the Czech Republic as a nine-year-old refugee with his father, travelling to Yugoslavia, Italy and Switzerland before settling in Munich.
‘‘It doesn’t feel like seven years. I had a lot of chances through the years, sometimes finishing second or third, but there was always somebody ahead of me.
‘‘It’s cruel sometimes but I have been working hard and been patient. I knew it would come eventually. I’m very happy. I don’t think I’m going to sleep tonight.’’
The win and first prize of 235,000 was a timely boost for Cejka, who flies to California in a few days for the first stage of qualifying for the US Tour.
‘‘I’m very happy in Europe and having a two-year exemption now is very handy, but I want to give it a try,’’ added Cejka, who has a special affinity for this tournament having proposed to his wife Mirka here several years ago.
‘‘I want to try it three times, I missed out by two or three shots last year, and if I don’t do it after three attempts then maybe I can never make it. But this win is more important.’’
Saturday’s high winds had brought 19 players within five shots of the lead and no fewer than eight different players led or shared the lead over the front nine in the final round.
Cejka led on his own when he birdied the second only to drop a shot at the next, but after a birdie on the sixth the 31-year-old was never out of the lead again.
A birdie at the 10th took him clear of the field at 11 under, and as his rivals faltered over the closing stretch, another birdie on the 16th gave him the luxury of a two-shot cushion for the first time.
Cejka, who recently switched clubs and coaches and who is now coached by the former tour pro Heinz Peter Thul, safely found the 18th green and had the luxury of three putts for the win, but needed only two to seal the win.
Woosnam had been looking to warm up for the defence of his World Matchplay title at Wentworth this week with his 30th tour victory, but could not reproduce the form which saw him fire a sparkling 65 on Saturday.
His approach to the ninth span into the water separating the green and that of the 18th, and by the time he found the same pond from the 18th tee, his chance had gone with dropped shots at the 14th and 17th.
In the end the Welshman had to settle for an eight-way share of 13th alongside compatriot Mark Pilkington, who set a new course record of 62.
Pilkington carded 10 birdies and one bogey, his closing birdie on the ninth coming after his drive had been hooked onto the 18th fairway, and earned a Rolex watch worth 6,250 for the lowest round of the week.
Sergio Garcia, who birdied three of the last four holes to win by a shot last year, put up a brave defence of his title but a closing 69 was only good enough for a share of fifth place.
New Zealand’s Greg Turner, playing his last tournament before retiring as a full-time player to concentrate on his course design business, finished in style with a birdie two on the last to join Woosnam in joint 13th.
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