Cejka wins Puerto Rico in five-man playoff
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RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 08: Alex Cejka of Germany celebrates with the trophy after winning the playoff during the final round of the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular on March 8, 2015 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)
The 44-year-old Czech-born German secures his first TOUR title at the Puerto Rico Open
Written by The Associated Press
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico -- Alex Cejka won the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday for his first PGA TOUR title, making a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a five-man playoff.
The 44-year-old Czech-born German won in his 287th start on TOUR. A four-time European Tour winner, he birdied four of the first six holes and finished with a 3-under 69 in rainy, windy conditions at Trump International-Puerto Rico.
PUERTO RICO OPEN: Final scores | Cejka's weekly stats, scorecards | Photo gallery
Grillo missed a short par putt and settled for a 70.
"It's definitely a tough one," Grillo said. "But I would take a playoff at the beginning of the week and have a chance to win the tournament. It's hard. ... It feels like I should have won this tournament by four or five shots."
Cejka had already changed clothes, thinking he had no chance to get in a playoff.
"If that would be a long par 4, people can make bogey, but a par 5 downwind -- they moved the tees up -- and two guys bogeyed," Cejka said. "The odds were not that good. I changed. I had everything ready to go to the airport and almost was very satisfied with a third finish. And suddenly it changed, and here I am. And I'm very, very pleased. I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight."
He quickly changed back into golf attire.
"We had a couple of minutes," Cejka said. "I had shorts on and a T-shirt and I had everything packed. Luckily, there was one more group, the final group coming, so I changed. But I didn't hit balls. Some of the guys were hitting balls in the rain or putting. But I literally just put some fresh clothes on me and some dry clothes and I was ready to go."
Curran also had a 70.
"I'm really proud of myself to put myself in the position that I was in. It was just kind of a surreal place to be," Curran said. "I had a chance to win. I was right there."
Petrovic shot a 67, and Saunders had a 68
Scott Brown, the 2013 winner playing in the final group, had a chance to get into the playoff with a birdie on the final hole, but made a bogey to drop into a tie for 10th at 5 under. He finished with a 73.
DIVOTS: At 44 years, 3 months, 6 days, Cejka is the oldest first-time winner since Ken Duke won the 2013 Travelers at 44 years, 4 months, 25 days. ... Grillo played on a sponsor exemption.