Robert Allenby Needs To Get Over Losing To Hungover Guy
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 4:04 PM EDT
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PrintAt the ole GNN Blog - before I started manning the ship here at Waggle Room - I spent a decent amount of energy railing Robert Allenby. Allenby was Camilo Villegas before Villegas became an overhyped whiner. He's not a big proponent of drinking at golf events, mainly because of an incident that stems back to the 2007 Australian Mastercard Masters event.
At that tournament, organizers created a temporary bar called "The Pub" next to the 12th hole at Huntingdale. They basically wanted to create an atmosphere like the 16th at TPC Scottsdale, where Allenby says that they only served half-strength beer to college students.
Well, it worked and people got drunk. They started heckling Allenby on the nearby 13th tee. Allenby asked them to be quiet. They said only if he asked nicely. He did, and they heckled him anyway. Allenby vowed not to return to that event or even participate in the Australian Open that year because they were planning a similar concept.
So, Allenby is clearly sensitive to alcohol and what it can do to fans. Maybe, too, he is sensitive about what it can to players - especially those that beat him 5 & 3 in the Presidents Cup. Kind of like what Anthony Kim did on Sunday.
In a completely serious remark to reporter, Allenby railed against Anthony Kim for supposedly staying out late the night prior and playing hungover on Sunday.
"Maybe we should all take the theory of Anthony Kim," Allenby said. "Get home at 4 o’clock (in the morning) and then go shoot 6 under. Ask his playing partners. Ask his team. He is the loosest cannon in that team."
Now, the Golfweek report on the topic also claims that Kim was asked by Captain Fred Couples to return to his room and leave a team function so he could come back looking more "presentable." But, define presentable. Wearing pants? Not drunk? Shave a little bit?
The guy is 24 years old. I was 24 just two years ago. You know what I was doing with my life? Getting drunk and hanging out with girls. If I were a professional golfer on top of that, I would still be getting drunk and hanging out with girls. What else does a 24 year old guy do? Stalk people on Facebook? Join a book club? Get real.
Now, maybe Allenby just is not much of a fan of alcohol or drinking. He could have litany reasons why, if that's true. But to be a crybaby about losing to someone - hungover or not - is just uncalled for in an exhibition. Take your lumps like a man and find a putting grip that actually works.
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Ok – first off – how typical of Golfweek to go out of their way to embarrass someone – but not bother getting the entire story ? Either get it right and get it complete – or it’s not a story. AK coming into the team room…in whatever condition Freddie deemed inappropriate…and being asked to leave and come back more presentable isn’t a story – it’s gossip.
BUT – this stuff about AK being hung over makes me wonder about his resolve to be a real professional. Last year, he had stopped partying when he was playing in order to get his game where he thought it could be. This year, he has fallen off the wagon….and it appears to be in a few different ways. If he’s back to the partying, did it contribute to the rash of injuries he’s had this year.
Sorry RB – the age thing is a complete copout. AK knows better and seemed to be more interested in his career than his drinking.
About Allenby – possibly a defense mechanism to cover a fear of success or failure ? (Being “sensitive to alcohol” ? seriously – who gave you that line.) :-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I don’t think you can really make any kind of connection between professional resolve and personal habits – at least not in the case of a 24 year old kid.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s why I’m going to stick with that. Because when I was 24, I was fresh out of grad school, and I went out a lot. I went to bars, hung out with my friends, and was up all hours of the night. And I still got a promotion at work. Because I knew the kind of balance that I had to strike between my social life and professional life in order to be happy with both.
I’m not advocating going to extremes here. If someone has a legitimate alcohol or drug problem, then obviously what I’m saying isn’t plausible. But I’m not going to say that Anthony Kim has an alcohol problem. For Allenby to insinuate that with what he said is insulting, and in VERY poor form. It sounds not only sour grapes, but a guy who lacks class.
Allenby was young once – how quickly we forget what it’s like to be that age and how we acted when we were that age. I’m not that far removed from it, so I can completely empathize with Anthony (and that’s IF it’s true that he was out that late). For Allenby to become accusatory like that is just unacceptable. And no one should take Allenby’s remarks as anything more than sour grapes.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorry – can’t buy into the “I got away with it – so AK will too” plan. It is true that a 24 year old will get away with things that a 30 or 35 year old can’t – but I’ll take your AK argument and trump you with a Tiger Woods.
How much better could AK be if he concentrated his efforts instead of drinking himself silly ? I think we got a short glimpse last year.
The argument against my point is that maybe he’s just not up to or interested in the challenge. The idea of being the man to take on Tiger Woods is more than he really wants to deal with. He’s already made more money than most people will make in a lifetime and he can add a few million dollars a year just being so-so.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I’m with ya here court, I don’t know what that was all about. Very harsh. I’m not sure sticking up for the drunk golfer is a good way to go.
Robert’s had a couple of very poor things said to him on the golf course by drunks over the past few years and he was just about the only International to show any fight out there this week.
I would disagree that Allenby was the only to show a fight. I thought Singh and Clark did a very nice job this weekend.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
oh yeah. Singh was ok. Clark was excellent. Allenby was the only one talking it up and showing some fight off course. Good for the Cup in future IMO.
by AussieGolfer on Oct 12, 2009 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorry but Allenby’s remarks are indefensible. And worse, they smack of a weak attempt to distract from the US win and Allenby’s own lack of delivery on Sunday.
Even more, they’re completely non-sensical. He doesn’t gain any sympathy by saying he lost to a hungover guy does he? All he was trying to do was tarnish Kim’s performance against him. Childish and shoddy.
It would be one thing...
…if AK went out and shot an 82 or lost 7&6 or whatever. But it’s something else entirely if he goes out at night and still gets the job done the next day.
And that’s not even considering the fact that AK has said that the accusation was completely false.
What if he was out drinking until 4 am? So what? Are Tour pros supposed to be teetotalers? I’ve read tons of stories about pros in decades gone by playing golf by day and living the high life by night. It’s AKs life and career. He should do what he feels is right. If that’s devoting body and mind 100% to golf, then so be it. If that’s partying hard while playing well enough to maintain a career, then more power to him.
he got away with it – pure and simple. I don’t think he’s going to make this a habit – but I’d sure hate for him to take the Daly path (even though Daly started in grade school) instead of the Woods/Mickelson path.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
You're assuming...
…that it happened. Allenby has second-hand accounts and says friends of his saw AK. AK flatly denies that it happened. So did he get away with it, or did it not happen?
Even if it did, it doesn’t change my feelings. It’s his career either succeed or fail with. My feeling is, he’s normal. When I was that age, I went out a lot too. Before I turned 30, I grew out of it. He might grow out of it or he might not. Either way, he’s only got to answer to himself about it.
by Double Eagle on Oct 12, 2009 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s funny how the definition of “normal” has managed to absorb drunkenness as something you’re supposed to do – and if you don’t drink, you’re abnormal.
We’re not disagreeing – it’s his life – but these stories aren’t altogether unbelievable. I just think it’s a shame that kids in our country are expected to spend 10 years of their lives in a drunken stupor in order to be considered an “adult”.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
This is great! but it’s all come a day too late!
We needed this sort of angst and agro BEFORE the event!
Now Royal Melbourne is looking much more interesting! Plenty of pubs down here for AK too. ;-)
Haha, I’m making it a point to be there for Royal Melbourne!
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions
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