Allenby atop leaderboard despite health concerns
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2003 MasterCard Masters | Round Two | 05 Dec 2003
It seems that the only thing holding Robert Allenby back from his first Australian Masters will be a virus that he picked up in South Africa just seven or eight days ago.
Allenby produced yet another round of five under 67 today to match his first round and at ten under he now has a two shot lead over 44-year-old Peter Senior with Brad Lamb and Nick O’Hern two shots further back at six under with Peter Lonard and Jarrod Moseley another shot back in equal 5th place.
Allenby talked later of the debilitating virus.
“As was the case yesterday I ran out of steam after about thirteen holes but managed to keep it going and am pleased to be in the position I am with a two shot lead.”
“I haven’t won for a couple of years but there is such a fine line between winning and not winning that I am not stressing on it but now that I am in a position to win I am keen to go on with it.”
“I’m really happy with the way I am playing,” he said and when asked if the halve with Davis Love a week ago in the Presidents Cup was a boost to his confidence he replied, “Very much so. To have lost that match when it meant so much to so many people would have been a huge disappointment and I feel great the way it all panned out, especially the little pitch and run at the last that secured the halve.”
Peter Senior whose four birdies and one bogey round of 69 has him just two behind is excited about the way he has been playing of late.
“Gary (Edwin) and I have put a lot of hard work into swing changes and I feel very confident.”
A two-time winner of this event Senior says he is hitting the ball as well as he ever has.
“Gary is as easy to work with as any coach I have worked with and the things he is trying to get me to do are simple and effective. It has been a while since I have been in contention in a tournament of this status but the recent finishes on the Von Nida Tour have helped in that regard.”
Steve Elkington worked his way back into the tournament with a second round 68 spoiled only by a repeat of yesterday’s double bogey at the last. He sits at four under and six behind the leader and still within striking distance with two rounds to go.
Joint overnight leader Marcus Cain fell away today with a second round 68 but still made the cut at even par. The cut fell at three over with notables to miss the weekend including Aaron Baddeley and Rich Beem.
James Nitties, who played well here last year and 2003 US Amateur champion Nick Flanagan were the only amateurs to make the cut.
