(Eds note: please note language in 4th para)
By Darren Walton
LYTHAM, England, July 17 AAP – Robert Allenby is back to play his 20th British Open, but it’s anything but a case of many happy returns for Australian golf’s tortured soul.
Allenby is battling off-course demons that have led to a crisis of confidence on the fairways and the 41-year-old tour veteran is at the lowest ebb of his career.
A 22-times winner worldwide, Allenby sarcastically said he was “just ecstatic, can’t wait” to tee off at Royal Lytham and St Annes on Thursday.
Nothing if not brutally honest, Allenby said his form was “s***house” and he had no hopes or expectations for the biggest tournament of the year.
“If I told you it was any different, I’d be lying,” he said. “I’m just a number really.
“I mean, the shots are all there but I’ve got no confidence. I’m just not playing with any confidence.
“Hopefully I can find something throughout the week, but I’m just down on confidence. I’ve copped a few blows lately.
“I started to play well a few weeks back at Memphis, but had some issues and just haven’t found the form since.”
One of the most consistent ball strikers in world golf over two decades, Allenby admitted his career was at its lowest point and he had no previous experience of such doldrums to draw on in hope of emerging from his funk.
“Never been like this ever,” he said.
Allenby has plunged from the top 20 to world No.100 and only played the French Open last month out of obligation to his long-time sponsor Lacoste before trying to freshen up on a holiday last week in Italy.
“I went to Capri for the week and tried to just chill out and get my mind elsewhere and was hoping to come here with a good frame of mind,” Allenby said.
“It felt like it (helped) and now I’m back to reality. It’s weird. I’m hitting a lot of good, quality shots but it’s just the odd flaky one that comes out. The mind’s just elsewhere.
“That’s the biggest thing for me this week. If I can just keep my mind on the golf, I’d probably do okay.
“My focus is just not 100 per cent on where it should be and I think what’s happened over time, I’ve just brought a bit of fear into my game, which I don’t normally have.”
Ironically, despite his pessimism, countryman Wayne Grady – the Open runner-up in 1989 – believed Allenby, with his low-ball flight, could well be Australia’s best-winning chance besides Adam Scott.
