Trio experiences wild finish

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Mar 31, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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AVONDALE — The 2008 Zurich Classic of New Orleans was by no means an ordinary garden-variety PGA Tour event for Alex Cejka, Retief Goosen and Brandt Jobe.

All three players thought they were going to miss the cut after completing their third rounds Saturday at TPC Louisiana. So they headed home for the remainder of the weekend — Cejka to Las Vegas, Goosen to Orlando, Fla., and Jobe to Dallas.

But a funny thing happened along the way: they weren’t finished playing.

Because of a new rule that cuts fields Friday and again after Saturday’s play when more than 78 players remain after the first cut, all three made the cut when the third round had to be completed Sunday morning after a lengthy rain delay.

Instead of taking a disqualification, all three decided to come back — not so much for the prize money they eventually won, but for the FedEx Cup points at stake.

For Jobe, the return to New Orleans was as simple as getting off a plane in Dallas and getting on another aircraft for a 1‰-hour return flight.

Things were much more complicated for Cejka. He got off his plane in Las Vegas at 7:40 p.m., then boarded a flight 10 minutes later for Houston — which was as close to New Orleans as he could get on short notice.

After arriving in Houston at 1 a.m., he rented a car and drove the remaining 370 miles. Cejka finally pulled into the TPC Louisiana parking lot at 6:40 a.m.— one hour before his tee time.

He walked into the clubhouse in jeans and flip-flops with no clubs because he didn’t have time to recover his luggage in Las Vegas. Cejka was given a Zurich Classic golf shirt, TPC Louisiana cap and shoes and “40-year-old” rental clubs. Tour player Jin Park chipped in a pair of rain pants because jeans aren’t allowed.

“The first 150 miles, I was really tired,” a weary Cejka said after shooting his best round of the week, a 71 on Sunday. “I bought about six Red Bulls to keep me going. The first couple of holes were good, so I think the Red Bulls pushed me through it.”

Despite his ordeal, Cejka said withdrawing was not an option.

“I never withdraw from a tournament for no reason,” said Cejka, who is playing in a pro-am today at the Shell Houston Open. “My goal was to not finish last.”

Cejka finished 2-over for the tournament and tied for 75th — which was fourth from last. He received a check for $11,656 — more than enough to cover his $400 plane ticket and rental car — and 47 FedEx Cup points.