Alex Cejka lines up a putt on the ninth green during the second round of the Verizon Heritage. Cejka, out front after Day 1, gave up the lead after an even-par 71 on Friday. That means the Heritage won’t have a wire-to-wire winner for the 12th straight year.
By BRANDON PARKER
bparker@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5536
By Alex Cejka's estimation, Tiger Woods is probably the only golfer who actually enjoys holding the first-day lead at a PGA Tour event.
"Every lead is tough, except if you're Tiger Woods; he likes it," the German said with a grin after firing an even-par score Friday to fall into a tie for third at 7 under. "But on this course, anything is possible. You can hit good shots and be penalized and have a bogey or double bogey. It's a tricky course."
So tricky that since the inaugural Heritage in 1969, only three golfers have carded wire-to-wire victories at Harbour Town. Nick Price was the last to hold the lead for four rounds, doing so in 1997. Johnnie Miller and Tom Watson were the other two, accomplishing this feat in 1974 and 1979, respectively.
For Cejka, the course's unpredictability became clear during Friday's roller-coaster back nine, where 14 mph winds gusted off the Calibogue Sound. After wayward approach and tee shots led to bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13, the first-day leader recovered with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to get back to 7 under.
"You look up, the wind was going right to left and the flag was going left to right," Cejka said. "It was a little bit challenging."
Even Davis Love III, who is making his 23rd straight appearance at Harbour Town, admits to being anything but an expert on this course. The five-time champion knows that the wind isn't the best place to throw one's caution, which is why he encourages low tee shots and steady adjustments at each hole.
"When the greens are this small, sometimes you get a little bit anxious and you try to guide it a little bit," said Love, who sits in sixth place at 5 under. "It's tricky and you have to adjust and you have to guess, and hopefully (you) guess right more than you (do wrong)."
For a good moment on Friday, Brian Gay appeared to be guessing right quite a bit, nailing five birdies on the front nine to grab the second-day lead at 9 under. Still, Gay is well aware that what worked for him in the second round is no sure thing for the rest of the weekend.
"I can't say it enough -- it was tough to pick a club and figure out where to aim and where to pick targets based on the wind," Gay said. "You had to back off a lot with the wind changing."
Gay and the 77 others remaining after Friday's cut should expect more of the same, as winds at Harbour Town are forecasted to jump from 5 mph today to a rate of 15 mph by Sunday's final round.
And while Cejka's second round of even-par golf means yet another year at the Heritage without a wire-to-wire winner, you won't catch him apologizing.
"Personally, when I was in the lead, I maybe played too defensive," Cejka said. "When I'm one or two behind, you're trying to make birdies and you play a little bit more aggressive golf. I'd like to be in the same position or a better position after several days, so we'll see what happens (Saturday)."
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