KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 27, 2021

Alex Cejka

Quick Quotes

Southern Hills Country Club

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, Alex, and welcome back to the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Here at Southern Hills. Tulsa, Oklahoma. We're with Mr. Alex Cejka. 3-under par 67. Another major, another round in the 60s for Alex. What's gotten into you? It's terrific to see, you must be feeling just wonderful about it.

ALEX CEJKA: I'm feeling great. I played great, we got a little bit easier conditions, I want to say the front nine then the wind picked up and it's really, really tricky out there, but the golf course is playing great, I played great shots, I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, gave me a lot of good chances and I'm very pleased where I'm standing right now after day one so far.

THE MODERATOR: Were you pleased with the number of chances you gave yourself or the golf course gave you or is there more out there for you?

ALEX CEJKA: There was -- I made a couple bogeys, but that happens. I hit even good shots, I just didn't get, didn't make up-and-downs, but it happens. Overall I'm really pleased how I played all day long.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. That early birdie run. What were the highlights in that?

ALEX CEJKA: I hit great tee shots what set me up with two wedges, short clubs to the green and then I hit it in the greenside bunker on that par-5, so that made a great up-and-down from there. So that helped to hitting big drives where you suddenly have a short iron in. Especially into those pins that were tucked behind those bunkers and they were pretty tricky. I didn't expect it the first day to have it set up like this, but it's tough.

Q. When you win a big event as you did, does it free you up as a player just to kind of --

ALEX CEJKA: Yeah, it frees you up, it gives you a little bit confidence, but you still have to grind, you still have to focus. There's so many great players and everybody plays great, so you got to keep pushing, try your best and fight for every shot.

Q. What seemed to be the best part of your game today?

ALEX CEJKA: I think lately the last two months I've been really driving well and even when it's narrow I'm just pushing it down there and I hit the fairways and that's so far it's been helping me.

Q. The pins on 3, 4 and 5 were all tucked and you said you went right at those?

ALEX CEJKA: Yeah, yes. That's because I hit a good drive and I had the, had a good number twice on 3 and 4. I had a great number for a pitching wedge. I hit two really great shots, I think one to 10 feet and one to five feet. So made those putts and but then the back nine got a little bit trickier with the wind. I mean, it's really challenging right now out there.

Q. As you see the wind picking up a lot more than what you guys had. Do you expect your 3-under to stand up pretty well for the lead?

ALEX CEJKA: I'm just happy with my game, even if somebody scores 3-, 4-, 5-under, it's nice to be on the leaderboard, no matter what tournament, and you know, I think the decision is going to be made on Sunday anyway, so it's just you got to, everybody's got to keep playing hard until Sunday the back nine as usual.

Q. What was your experience at Southern Hills prior to this?

ALEX CEJKA: Prior to in here? I never played here before.

Q. What are your general thoughts about the course?

ALEX CEJKA: Well, I played my first practice round on Monday and it was tricky. It was already tricky. The greens were pretty fast. I saw all the undulations around the green and I was looking where they can put the pins and they put them even in worse spots than I thought they can put it. So I was making my plan and to play a lot of times middle of the greens. Obviously when you have a shorter shot you can go more for the pins, but middle of the green and leave yourself 30, 40-footers is not bad on a lot of holes here.

THE MODERATOR: Last question at least from me. Your short game, how's your putting going today and how has it been this week and feeling good there?

ALEX CEJKA: Yeah, I feel good. I feel good the last couple of weeks in general with the whole game. Putting's been great. Obviously to win tournaments you have to have the whole package. You got to drive well, chip well, putt well, you got to get lucky, and that's part of the game too. So far I've been hitting well, chipping well, putting well, hopefully I keep going like this.