Vocal Allenby leads Masters
IN: News | Australasian PGA | MasterCard Masters (2007) | Round One | by Anthony Powter | 22 Nov 2007
Robert Allenby fired a five-under 67, to lead the first round of the MasterCard Masters. Allenby’s morning round was kick started with a flurry of birdies, which had the Victorian four-under through his first five holes.
Allenby later vented his frustration with the pace of the Huntingdale greens, which he felt were in places inconsistent and difficult to feel the pace and because of that, he missed a number of opportunities out on the course.
“I’m generally pretty happy with my round,” remarked the 2003 and 2005 winner.
“Anytime you go five-under around this track is normally pretty good. I felt that I left five or six shots out there and my score should have been better.”
“I had a great start but I kind of lost the feel of the speed of the greens and came up short a few times.”
Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed and Britain’s Peter Barker are tied second on four-under. The Swede came home with a wet sail, after he birdied three of his final four holes to be within a shot of Allenby.
Stuart Appleby, who has yet to win a Masters jacket, also made a solid start, returning a three-under 69, which included five birdies and two bogeys. Appleby joins Rod Pampling, Michael Long, Paul Marantz, Daniel Chopra, and Kurt Barnes all at T4, moving into the second round.
This week at Huntingdale, negative discussion amongst the public and media commentators surfaced surrounding the depth of the field playing at Huntingdale and the status of the Australasian Tour. The issue has also been fueled with the absence of a number of main European Tour players.
Allenby earlier in the week remarked that many Australians playing the American tours are getting tired of hearing the negative perceptions surrounding the status of the Australian Tour, particularly who chooses to return and which events players include in their schedule.
“I think that it comes down to the tall-poppy syndrome that Greg Norman fought for a lot of years. That is kind of what happens to a lot of players,” remarked Allenby at a press conference.
“I’m not saying that is the reason Geoff and Adam aren’t here, but sometimes it can wear on you, especially when you are on the other side of the world playing for the rest of the year.”
“We want to come back and support the Australasian tour, but if you come back and all you do is cop abuse and everyone is negative, it is a bad environment to be in. I think that has really hurt Australian golf.”
There certainly is a feel of lack of depth in this week’s field. Then again the same record was being played this time last year and the MasterCard Masters proved to be a wonderful tournament.
Opportunity often knocks softly and there are players here like Rick Kulacz, Nick Flanagan, Aron Price and Aaron Pike to name a few, bursting to prove their mark on the world golfing stage.
That’s not to mention seasoned players of the calibre of Lonard, Appleby, Campbell and Senden, that have at various times, put Australian golf on the world map.
Justin Rose kicked started a sensational 2006 season, after claiming MasterCard Masters last year at Huntingdale.
The negativity, towards both the players and the tournament, should be silenced come Sunday and the pessimists will be staying low, as another journey, similar to Rose’s, has every chance to begin.
