Alex Cejka of Germany fired a 6-under 66 — the lowest score of the second round — on Saturday to vault atop the leaderboard by three shots at the PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship in Cary, N.C.
Cejka notched a double eagle on the par-5 No. 7 hole, then closed his strong round with two of his five birdies to complete a seven-spot leap on the leaderboard. Countryman Bernhard Langer is three shots back entering the final round following a 2-under 70, which included birdies on Nos. 11 and 17 at Prestonwood Country Club.
“I want to say, I guess, a lucky day,” Cejka said. “I hit a lot of good shots, but you’ve still got to make the birdies. I drove it well. It’s a little bit easier on this golf course out of that rough in those conditions to hit it from the fairway, so I really drove it well. … I missed a couple greens but made great up-and-downs so that kept the momentum going a little bit.”
South Korea’s Charlie Wi is four shots off the pace after his second straight 70, while first-round co-leader Robert Karlsson (73 on Saturday) is tied for fourth along with South Africa’s Retief Goosen (70) and New Zealand’s Steve Alker (72).
Australia’s Cameron Pearcy moved up 20 spots with a 3-under 69 and leads a group of five players tied for seventh, six shots off the lead.
Stewart Cink and Ireland’s Padraig Harington, who also shared the lead, struggled mightily on Saturday, as Cink dropped into a tie for 49th after shooting a 8-over 80. Harrington (4-over 76), meanwhile, tumbled into a tie for 20th. Chad Campbell, who also held a piece of the lead after the opening round, is tied for 12th after posting a second-round 75.
The SAS Championship is the final event before the Champions’ three-event playoff to determine the winner of the Charles Schwab Cup. The top 72 players in the Charles Schwab Cup points standings after this weekend will advance to the first playoff event, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic next weekend in Richmond, Va.
Cejka, 54, is seeking his fourth victory on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and his first since The Senior Open Championship in July 2023. After opening the round with four straight pars, he birdied the No. 5 hole, followed by his double eagle and another birdie on No. 7.
Meanwhile, the 68-year-old Langer, who will play with Cejka in the final round, continued his impressive play at the tournament as he seeks his 48th PGA Tour Champions victory. The two-time Masters winner last won at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November 2024, extending his record to 18 consecutive seasons with at least one win.
“It’s always great to play with Bernhard, but of course you want to kick his ass when you play with him,” Cejka said. He’s a great friend, he’s loved all over the world not only in the golfing scene but everywhere, so it’s going to be great, I’m looking forward to it.”
