Alex Čejka, the German golf maestro, is gearing up to defend his title at The Senior Open Presented by Rolex, aiming to etch his name among the legends by becoming only the third player to successfully defend this prestigious title at Carnoustie Golf Links this week.
Last year, Čejka showcased his grit and skill by edging out Pádraig Harrington in a thrilling play-off to clinch his third Senior Major Championship title at Royal Porthcawl.
This victory added to his impressive wins at the Regions Tradition and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2021, solidifying his place in senior golf’s elite.
In a nail-biting finish, Čejka triumphed on the second extra hole, sinking a two-putt birdie at the par-five 18th amidst the harsh Welsh weather.
This win marked him as the second German to conquer The Senior Open, following the footsteps of the legendary Bernhard Langer, a four-time champion.
Now, Čejka aims to emulate Brian Barnes and Christy O’Connor Jnr, who defended their titles in 1996 and 2000, respectively.
Alex Čejka: “I was super pleased. It was incredible to win a tournament like this. It was always my dream and it was an amazing week.
“All of my Major titles were incredible. I can’t say that the first was better than the second or the third. Each one is unique.
“I’m looking forward to defending my title on a different track, hopefully in better conditions against a similar field.
There’s a lot of people who are in form and it will be a great challenge but hopefully I can retain the trophy this week.
“I’m struggling a little bit because I had two months off due to a back injury. I’m slowly coming back and my game felt much better last week at Royal Troon.
“Making the cut at The Open last week was a really big deal because I didn’t even give myself a chance to make the cut.
“I came back from injury at the BMW International Open on the DP World Tour only three weeks ago, and my game was not even close to where it should be.”
Despite a challenging season plagued by a back injury, the 53-year-old Čejka strides into Europe’s only Senior Major Championship with renewed confidence, having made the cut at last week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
The competition is fierce, with Čejka joining a stellar lineup of 15 Major winners. This includes Ian Woosnam, Paul Lawrie, Darren Clarke, Michael Campbell, Angel Cabrera, John Daly, Shaun Micheel, Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard, Jose Maria Olazábal, Rich Beem, Vijay Singh, Y.E. Yang, Langer, and Harrington.
Particularly, Lawrie, Harrington, and Daly, all previous Open champions at Carnoustie, are vying to join the elite group of golfers—Bob Charles, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Clarke—who have won both The Open and The Senior Open.
This week marks the return of The Senior Open to Scottish soil for the first time since 2022, when Clarke claimed his maiden Senior Major at Gleneagles.
Carnoustie, hosting the event for the third time, previously saw victories from Langer in 2010 and Paul Broadhurst in 2016.
As the golfing world turns its eyes to Carnoustie, Čejka’s quest for back-to-back titles promises to be a spectacle, filled with drama and excitement befitting the storied links of Scotland.
