Senior PGA Championship 2026: Alex Cejka fights against the pain

When the 2026 Senior PGA Championship kicks off on April 16 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, the golf world will be looking at one of the strongest fields in history. Right in the middle of it: Alex Cejka. The 2021 champion is returning to the scene of his success, but the 55-year-old's journey there was anything but easy.

The 86th edition of the Senior PGA Championship 2026 promises to be a spectacle of superlatives. With 21 major champions, eleven former Senior PGA winners and seven members of the World Golf Hall of Fame in the field, the density of legends is hard to beat. Names such as Ernie Els, Pádraig Harrington and defending champion Ángel Cabrera underline the importance of this first major of the season on the PGA TOUR Champions.

Click here for the current live scoring and leaderboard of the Senior PGA Championship 2026.

"The Concession": A course that forgives no mistakes

The Par-72 course "The Concession" is known for its treacherous design. Compared to previous team events, the course has been significantly lengthened for this year's championship and now measures an impressive 6,936 yards. For Alex Čejka, the strategy is clear: "Smart Players" is the order of the day.

"It's a great venue for a major," says Cejka in an interview. The "funky" greens in particular, with their plateaus and extreme slopes, demand everything from the pros. If you miss the green on the wrong side, you often find your ball 20 to 30 meters away from the flag. "You have to be disciplined and play the right side of the Pin to have any chance of getting up and down," explains the American by choice.

Video: Alex Cejka in an interview ahead of the 2026 Senior PGA Championship

The fight against his own body: "Suck up the pain"

Behind the scenes, however, Cejka's preparation for the Senior PGA Championship 2026 was characterized by health setbacks. A herniated disc forced him to take almost a complete break over the last four weeks. Instead of training, injections and intensive treatments were on the agenda.

"I'm definitely a bit rusty," Cejka admits honestly. After disappointing results in Tucson and Newport, where he was barely able to train, his body now feels stable again just in time for the Major. His attitude to getting older on Tour is as pragmatic as it is tough: "We're not 20 anymore. Everyone here has aches and pains. You just have to swallow the pain and play as hard as you do every other week."

Tribute to Bernhard Langer: more than just a sportsman

Despite the fact that Cejka is currently ahead of Bernhard Langer in the current Senior Tour rankings, his respect for his compatriot remains boundless. Langer, who won the Senior PGA Championship himself in 2017, remains the ultimate role model for Čejka - and not just in terms of sport.

"Bernhard is a huge part of my life as a golfer. He is even greater as a person than as a golfer - which is hard to imagine when you look at his successes," says Cejka. The good relationship between the German pros is an important factor in their success on Tour.

Outlook for the weekend

With a prize pot of 3 million US dollars and a winner's share of 540,000 US dollars, there is a lot at stake. Will Cejka be able to build on his 2021 form despite his back problems? The competition from players such as Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink and the in-form Zach Johnson is fierce.