Cejka holds commanding lead in Sawgrass
Germany’s Alex Cejka held a commanding clubhouse lead at TPC Sawgrass today as the second round of The Players Championship took shape and some big names flirted with the cut.
Cejka, still searching for his maiden PGA Tour victory after playing full time in the United States since 2003, began the day at six under par, a shot behind overnight leader Ben Crane.
The 39-year-old quickly moved past his American rival on the par-72, 7,215yard Players Stadium course with three birdies in a row between the second and fourth holes and went on to shoot a 67, 11 under for the tournament and four shots clear of the field, despite needing an epidural injection to ease the pain in a long-troubled neck.
“I had a pinched nerve and I had a numb arm for three weeks,” Cejka said. “So they had to go in there and put some cortisone shot in the nerve, so it’s healing better.
“It’s still not 100% but I feel my hand, so that’s a good sign.”
Americans Kevin Na and Jason Dufner were in the clubhouse on seven under after a 66 and 70 respectively, with Masters champion Angel Cabrera also done for the day after a 65 that took him to four shots behind Cejka.
The Argentinian had returned to action last week following his Augusta National play-off success over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell but missed the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship and today bounced back from an opening 72.
Crane briefly stayed in touch with fellow early starter Cejka but a double bogey at the par-four 18th left him with a 73, taking him back to six under, alongside Australia’s Robert Allenby, who shot a 66.
Camilo Villegas of Colombia had got to seven under before a double bogey at the par-five 16th led to a level-par 73, five under at the halfway stage.
Sweden’s Robert S Johnson and American John Mallinger were among the late starters, each beginning at six under with England’s Ian Poulter, Retief Goosen of South Africa and Americans David Toms, Scott Verplank and Jonathan Byrd starting at five under.
Johnson and Byrd had both moved to seven under after 10 holes while Poulter birdied his second on the 11th hole to reach six under.
Byrd got to eight under after 12 holes and Poulter improved another stroke to seven under with a birdie at the 16th.
England’s Paul Casey will start the third round at five under following a 69 that consisted of five birdies and two bogeys.
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson was at five under having played nine holes with England’s Brian Davis at four under following a 71 and Justin Rose at three under after eight holes.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington posted a second consecutive 72 to remain at level par, which was the projected cut mark, while there were plenty of big names needing good rounds to reach the weekend.
Phil Mickelson, the 2007 Players champion, needed a birdie at the par-five ninth, his last hole to reach the clubhouse at level par following a 71 but despite an eagle at the same hole, 2004 champion Adam Scott could only finish with 74, at one over for the week.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald of England began their second rounds at two over with the 20-year-old Ulsterman slipping further away from safety following bogeys at the par-five 11th and par-four 15th, his second and fifth holes.
Starting from the 10th tee and having birdied his fifth hole to get to one over, Donald fell back with a bogey at the par-five 16th, while another Englishman, Ross Fisher, finished with a 74 to end his week at four over.
World number one Tiger Woods had begun his round at one under par and was briefly in a shaky position at level par after a birdie and two bogeys over the opening four holes before getting back to two under with birdies at the ninth and 10th.
Woods, the 2001 champion, made it three in a row when he birdied the 11th and looked to be shaping up for a march onto the leaderboard.
