GREAT BID BY JIMMY GUNN TO BEAT CUT FAILS GALLANTLY

      Alex Cejka, first win since 2002. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

 CEJKA WINS RAIN-REDUCED Web.Com 

Tour OPENER IN COLOMBIA

Munich-based, Czech Republic-born Alex Cejka, a former European Tour player, won the rain-reduced Web.Com Tour's opening event of 2014, the Colombia Championship at Bogota Country Club.
Cejka shot 68-68-63 for 14-under-par 199 to win the $135,000 first prize by three strokes from joint runners-up Andrew D Putnam (USA) and Mexico's Carlos Ortiz.
Cejka was declared the winner of the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship when thunderstorms moved into the Bogota area Sunday afternoon and cancelled the fourth round. 
Cejka was halfway through his final round and leading by one shot over Andrew Putnam and by two over Andres Gonzales when play was halted at 2:08 pm.
The rains continued but less than an hour later it was clear that the round couldn’t resume, thus reverting the standings back to 54 holes. 
Cejka had moved into a three-stroke lead earlier in the day when he established a new course record with an 8-under 63.
His 14-under 199 total was three better than Putnam (68) and four in front of rookie Carlos Ortiz (67). Veteran Bill Lunde (70) finished fourth, five off the pace, while Sam Saunders (69), Chris Wilson (70) and Justin Thomas (71) shared fifth place.
“It’s been a long time,” said Cejka of the win. “I had a feeling the rain might come again. I just tried to hang in there. I knew it was going to be tough this afternoon so I was just grinding. Unlucky or luck, depending on how you see it with the weather. 
"It’s nice to win. It doesn’t matter on what Tour these days because there are so many great players.”
The win is the first in the United States for the 43-year old from Germany in his 301 career starts (270 US PGA Tour and 31 Web.com Tour) and it was worth $135,000. 
His last win came at the 2002 Trophee Lancome on the European Tour.
 “I wouldn’t mind playing 72 holes but sometimes there is nothing you can do,” he said.
Cejka had completed only two holes of his third rond Saturday when play was halted by an afternoon thunderstorm (for the third consecutive day).  
Cejka and the rest of the field were forced to return to the Country Club of Bogota course and finish up Sunday morning.
He was nearly flawless as he kept attacking pins and rolling in birdie putts. Cejka birdied Nos. 14, 15, 17 and 18 to regain some distance over Putnam, who was two groups back and put on a charge of his own.
“I saw a leaderboard on 15 but after that I just wasn’t interested,” he said. “I knew I had to play my game and not to worry about anyone else.”
The three consecutive suspensions the first three days of play required officials to figure a way to hurry up the final round. 
Players were sent back out in their same groups in order to save time and hopefully beat the weather. The first groups were eight holes deep in round four when the final threesome reached the 18th green to complete round three.
The last couple of threesomes had 10-15 minutes to relax, grab a quick sandwich and head back to the tee to start the fourth round.
Shortly after signing his card, Cejka checked the time and had 12 minutes before he was to tee off in the fourth round.
“I was a little nervous the first couple of holes because I knew what was at stake,” said Cejka. “It’s not easy. You have in mind that it’s been a long time.”
Cejka gave his challengers hope when bogeyed his first two holes, dropping him to 12-under and one in front of Putnam and Andres Gonzales, who was in the first group off the tee and was about to turn the front nine in 5-under 30.
Cejka rebounded with birdies at No. 5 and 7 to widen his lead. Putnam, playing in the final group, closed to within one with a birdie at No. 7 just before the horn sounded to halt play.
“When they announced it was going to be 54 holes I was a little relieved,” said the winner. “I wanted to complete the round but I’m so happy to have won again.”
Sunday Notes:•
• A total of 2.2 inches of rain fell over the four days of the tournament.
• Putnam picked up the second-place cheque for $81,000.• Did you know…Bogota is located on the west of the Savannah of Bogota, although the geographical site is actually a high plateau in the Andes mountains. The average temperature is 58F. The official highest recorded temperature inside the city limits is 80F and the lowest is 19F.


GALLANT BID TO BEAT CUT
 BY JIMMY GUNN

Dornoch's Jimmy Gunn, making his debut on America's No 2 pro tour, missed but the by three shots after a brilliant second round of 68 - nine shots better than his first-round score
Gunn was out in 32 with birdies at the fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth and when he birdied the 10th to get to five under par on the day, there was
just a glimmer of hope that he was going to beat the cut after all.
But then Gunn was stopped in his tracks by a double bogey 5 at the short 12th and, having lost his momentum, he dropped another shot at the 15th.
But Jimmy's confidence will have been restored, ready  for the second event on the tour.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x72)
199 Alex Cejka (Germany) 68 68 63
202 Andrew D Putnam (USA) 68 66 68, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) 67 69 67
204 Bill Lunde (USA) 66 68 70

MISSED THE CUT (142 and better qualified)
145 Jimmy Gunn (Scotland) 77 68

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