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All Pain but Plenty of Gain for Cejka in Germany
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All Pain but Plenty of Gain for Cejka in Germany

Alex Cejka has been accustomed to adversity in his life, fleeing the Czech Republic as a nine year old refugee with his father to settle in Germany. This week, Cejka faced problems of a less dramatic nature, but still succeeded in combating them successfully on his way to establishing a three shot halfway lead in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe.

The 33 year old played the first two rounds of the event at St Leon-Rot near Heidelberg suffering from acute pain in his back and right leg, leaving him with a pronounced limp.

However the hurt was assuaged by the knowledge that he equalled his own course record of 64, set two years earlier and shared by Mark Pilkington and Tiger Woods, for a two round total of 133.

Cejka leads by three from Frenchman, Gregory Havret, who ground out a commendable 71 despite a sour-tasting triple bogey seven at the last in the steadily rising afternoon wind and England’s David Howell - another of the three first round leaders – who also shot 71 for 136..

Had Cejka not been playing in Germany, he might not have made it to the first tee after picking up the dreaded ‘golfers’ plague’ of a nagging back injury following the BMW Asian Open in China a few days ago.

“I don’t think I would have played otherwise” he said. “But I am a fighter and I was trying to forget the pain and just try as hard as I could. I was struggling yesterday and it was hurting when I was walking. Today it was better after a lot of treatment. There is still pain when I walk but it’s not affecting the swing.

“It actually started on Monday when I was in China. I went into the health club while waiting for my flight to come here and was doing some running and probably hurt it there a little bit.”

Howell, aiming to bridge a five year gap since winning the Dubai Desert Classic in 1999, enjoyed the more favourable morning conditions and with three birdies and two bogeys he muscled his way into contention at eight under.

By the time he left the course, Howell would not have anticipated being in a share of second place several hours later, such were the balmy conditions.

In fact, Havret fired an opening salvo of four straight birdies, making a mockery of the rapidly dropping mercury and turning in 33 before bogeying the 13th.

Undaunted, he proceeded to birdie the 15th and 17th as the wind and cold gnawed at his hands and ears and came to last level with Cejka.

Havret sent a misguided drive into the water, took a drop under penalty and ultimately three putted for a seven which his play certainly did not merit. He said: “It’s quite hard for me because I lost three shots on that one hole. I tried hard all day and did some good things but, right now, I am disappointed because of the finish. Still, golf is like that.”

Four players share fourth place, Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, the pair of South Africans, Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen and New Zealander’s Stephen Scahill.

Immelman, one of the first round leaders, had to battle against the worsening conditions and, in the circumstances, it was a case of damage limitation. He conceded: “I am disappointed at missing a four footer at the 17th and bogeying the last. If I had made a birdie and par I might have stolen a shot on the field there.

“It was extremely difficult. I think we got a little unlucky with our side of the draw but, all in all, I am pleased to have a good chance over the weekend. You’ve got to be on the fairway and I didn’t do that today.”

Clarke was certainly not unhappy to be playing in the most benign conditions as he shot a 67 to follow his opening 70. However the Irishman was displeased with the standard of his putting over the first two days and commented: “I was frustrated. Seven under is possibly as bad as it could have been for the first two rounds.

“I was striking the putts poorly yesterday. Today was better but it didn’t seem to make any difference. I holed one from 15 feet and that was the longest I holed all day.”

Defending champion, Padraig Harrington of Ireland, and South African, Ernie Els, finished on 138 and 139 respectively, Harrington shooting a 68 to Els’s level par 72. Harrington has identified a problem with his putting recently but showed signs of getting his eye in again, making three good birdies on the back nine (his first nine), reaching the turn in 33 and coming home in 35.

Els, meanwhile, was travelling smoothly at seven under par until he struck trouble at the 17th and ran up a double bogey seven. He said: “It kept it together until the 17th. That was a disaster. The wind kept getting stronger and stronger and it was a pity about the finish.

“I would like it to remain like this for the next two days because now we know what it’s like when the wind picks up.”

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