Alex Cejka Leads Verizon Heritage With 64 in First Round

Alex Cejka (pronounced CHAY-ka) a native of the Czech Republic and of German nationality fired a first round seven-under par 64 to take the lead in the 41st Verizon Heritage. The bogey-free round was well distributed with birdies on two par-threes, three par-fours and two par-fives.

A Monday rainstorm softened the Harbour Town Golf Links generally known for its relatively short length, tight fairways, overhanging trees and small greens. The weather was sunny and breezy with temperatures no warmer than 69 degrees. It was one of those days when you were warm in the sunshine but a little chilly in the shade.

Veteran Lee Janzen was second with a six-under par 63 and no longer defending Masters Champion Trevor Immelman was third with a relaxed five-under par 66. All three leaders teed off relatively early in the morning pairings with ideal conditions. The winds were out of the NE at 10-20 mph with gusts of 25 mph more so in the afternoon.

Cejka a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada played pretty solid golf. “It's not an easy course. It's tight. You've got to shape the shots. You've got to be a little bit lucky on the small greens and stuff to hit them all. But I hit good shots today. I played well and I was putting well. That's the key. If you putt well it helps a lot, and today was one of the days where when you play well and putt also well, so it's possible to go low."

When asked about the gusty and swirling winds his reply was blunt. “I don't like it. I think nobody really likes it. But even back then when I was playing in the European Tour we have conditions like this most of the time. It gets tough. It's challenging, it's tricky. I'd rather have it like weather in Palm Springs where it's warm and no wind at all. This is the way it is and we all have to deal with it.”

After pinching a nerve at last year’s British Open and having surgery in September to do a fusion between C6 and C7 on his neck his goal is to stay healthy. “I was, (over the) last couple of years, been a little bit unlucky, a little bit injured. I had the neck surgery (and) was off for three months. So it was tough to come back. Hopefully everything stays well and I get healthy and practice hard.”

The key to Lee Janzen's round was his short game. He only had 23 putts today. His career-best for fewest putts in a round is 21 at the 1995 Mercedes Championship. It is only the first round, but Harbour Town has a history of low putting numbers. David Frost set the PGA TOUR’s all-time 72-hole putting record with 92 total putts at Harbour Town in 2005.

At age 44 Janzen is trying to regain the form that won him the two US Opens in 1993 and 1998 and a PLAYERS Championship in 1995. The Verizon Heritage has been won by a player aged 40 and above five times, including Arnold Palmer at age 40 years and two months at the inaugural 1969 tournament. Hale Irwin is the oldest winner in 1994 at 48 years and 10 months.

Janzen started off on the tenth tee and bogeyed the par-four 13th hole before finishing with seven birdies of his own. “You want to take the right attitude on the golf course. But when you're playing a course you really like it's a little easier. It's a very challenging course, so making a bogey early in my round is not the end of the world.”

Missing four of seven cuts so far this year Janzen played well in his last tournament the Arnold Palmer Invitational by MasterCard leading in the second round before finishing T17. He is in the Verizon Heritage which is an invitational tournament by virtue of his US Open wins and having played at least 15 tournaments last year.

Finishing No. 152 on the 2008 Money List, Janzen has to be creative schedule wise this year attempting to regain fully exempt status in the Top 125 that he last held in 2005. “I'm playing in a Past Champion category, which comes after 126 to 150, which I played the last few years. It's hard to make your schedule. It's a lot better when you're playing from the exempt and you make your schedule, play a certain amount of weeks, practice, and gear your whole schedule around certain tournaments and I haven't been able to do that, which is a challenge.”

Trevor Immelman who gave the green jacket to Masters winner Angel Cabrera up the road in Augusta, Georgia is hunting for a tartan jacket of his own.

Also the winner of the 2006 Cialis Western Open, he bogeyed his second hole of the day and his last with seven birdies of his own in between. “I really played well today. I hit a lot of good quality shots and anytime you can shoot something in the 60s on this golf course, it's a tough golf course, so I'm pleased with the first round.”

Brian Gay and Ted Purdy are T4 after shooting 67s.

Eleven players shot 68 including three-time Major Champion Ernie Els who missed the cut here last year. His best finish ever at the Verizon Heritage occurred the year before when he finished second after Boo Weekley chipped in on the final two holes for the victory.

Past champions: How did they do?

Boo Weekley winner of the last two Verizon Heritages shot a three-under 69 and is T17. Five-time winner Davis Love III shot a one-under 70 and is T24. The 2006 Champion Aaron Baddeley misfired a four-over par 75 and is in danger of missing the cut. Peter Lonard the 2005 Champion and two-time Champion Stewart Cink shot a one-over par 72.

Justin Leonard, the 2002 Champion shot a one-under par 70. The 2001 Champion Jose Coceres shot a three-over par 74 and is T122 and in danger of missing the cut. The 1999 Champion Glen Day shot an even par 71 and is T41 while the 1995 Champion Bob Tway shot a one-over par 71.

With the conditions forecasted to be the same for Friday it will be interesting to see how the leaders will do when confronted with a drier and firmer golf course in the afternoon. The field of 132 golfers will be reduced to the low 70 and ties at the end of the second round.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel. He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to [e-mail]