FBR OPEN

February 2, 2006

Alex Cejka

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Alex, for joining us for a few minutes. It got dark out there on you, didn't it.

ALEX CEJKA: Actually we were running towards the last tee box to hit because we didn't know when they were going to blow the horn. We're glad we're in. It's better than coming at 7:30 in the morning to play one hole. Yeah, it was nice today. It was a nice round.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Good start, no bogeys. You got six birdies on your card, good start to the week.

ALEX CEJKA: Yes, I'm very pleased. It's been a while. I had a very low good first round. I had a couple good finishes here a couple years ago. So I like the course. I like the crowds. You know, I'm playing well, so we'll see. Three rounds to go is a long way, but I hit the ball well and I'm pretty happy.

Q. I have a nationality question because I was kind of confused by reading your bio. Were you born in the Czech Republic and then became a German citizen and then your family moved back to Czechoslovakia when things settled down?

ALEX CEJKA: Yes, that's correct.

Q. So I call you from the Czech Republic, although you're a German citizen?

ALEX CEJKA: Yes.

Q. What did you think of playing that late in the day? Is that a disadvantage? The other guy fired his round early in the morning.

ALEX CEJKA: Yeah, I think the first year I played here I had the same thing. We had to stop on 17. You know, it's a little disadvantage. I think we almost would make it without problem, but we had little delays on the back nine for a couple holes. On 17 everybody was waiting, and then on the par 5, a couple holes before.

So without the delays there would be no problem. But the reachable par 5 and par 4, so there was a backup. We made it, so it's all right.

Q. Was there anything spectacular in your round, any long putts or chip ins or anything like that?

ALEX CEJKA: Nothing, not yet, no. I think the birdies, I hit them pretty close on the first couple holes. Nothing really, no major chip in or major shot.

Q. The shot out of the sand was pretty good on 18.

ALEX CEJKA: Yeah, that was good. That was a great up and down. It's a tricky pin position, but it was almost too dark, so I just hit the sand.

Q. Do these greens seem a little faster than usual this year? You've played them before.

ALEX CEJKA: No.

Q. Were they hard to get the ball close to the pin or anything?

ALEX CEJKA: Yes. I have a little problem personally. The ball is traveling quite a bit further, much further, actually, than I normally play. So I always hit one club less. But they are hard. I mean, it's tough to spin it. A couple tricky pin positions today, but if you're in the fairway, it's a little bit easier than from the rough.

They're not very fast. Probably they will be on the weekends.

Q. Steve Lowery didn't think and Bo Van Pelt didn't think that 6 would hold. Are you surprised that that score held up, especially with the conditions today?

ALEX CEJKA: Yeah, I think 6, 7 is a pretty good score. As I said, the pin positions weren't that easy, and I think Steve and Bo, they went pretty early, first, second group. So they had probably no wind. But it was chilly in the morning. But it's a great round, and I think we're going to see maybe a couple lower rounds during the week. It was not as easy today out there.

Q. Starting off in the morning tomorrow, how are you going to go in with a different mindset than with this afternoon being hotter?

ALEX CEJKA: You know, I'll have the same game plan hopefully tomorrow. I'm just playing well and trying not to make stupid mistakes. I had a great rhythm today, what I was working on for the last couple weeks, and it's going to be a little bit chilly. I'm starting on the back nine, so I'm just going to go out and try my best and we'll see what it brings.

Q. Is there a tournament on the European Tour that would be similar to this event as far as atmosphere goes with the crowd being excited

ALEX CEJKA: No.

Q. Anything similar you've been anywhere?

ALEX CEJKA: No, I don't think there's any comparison, even on the PGA TOUR, than here. Really we have great crowds, also, but they are not as wild. They don't start drinking at 8:00 in the morning and stop at 5:00 in the afternoon. They get louder the later it gets. But it's great, and it's a special crowd this week.

Q. What kind of greeting do you get on the 16th tee? Do they come up with anything for you?

ALEX CEJKA: Not yet. I'm still waiting (laughter). No, it's loud for everybody, but they haven't come up with nicknames or anything special.

Q. They usually come up with a college fight song or

ALEX CEJKA: No, nothing for me yet.

Q. They probably don't know the Czech national anthem.

ALEX CEJKA: Probably.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Alex. We appreciate you stepping in here for a few minutes.

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