What they said: Robert Allenby

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SONY OPEN AT HAWAII: Transcript archive

MARK WILLIAMS: Robert Allenby, thanks for joining us, second round 67, 3 under part for an 8 under par total. It looks like your second round was a little bit more of a struggle than the first. It looked like you had a good day with the putter, but maybe off the tee was a struggle, just talk about your round today.

ROBERT ALLENBY: Yes, I struggled off the tee, just wasn't able to hit the shots that was required. And then obviously it makes it pretty hard to hit the greens when you are coming out of this rough, it's a bit of a guessing game, especially with the new grooves, it helps with the new grooves.

I think I was happy with the way I managed myself around the course. I relied on my short game. So far my short game has been really good, putting really well. Obviously that's what it takes when you're not struggling.

MARK WILLIAMS: Just give us an update on the ankle, how is this day compared to yesterday?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Still the same. It's still there. Still annoying. But, you know, it just stops me from making normal swings. So a lot of my swings are abbreviated and using a lot of top half of my body. Just, you know, it's a bit frustrating because I know I'm playing really well. I just can't do what I really want to do and hit the ball the way I want to hit it. But I'm managing, you know, I'm not expecting too much, just managing my way around the golf course.

If I can just make a few birdies every now and then, so be it.

Q. I don't know if you can actually determine this, but I will ask the question, if you were healthy, 100 percent healthy, how much different would your score be?

ROBERT ALLENBY: It could be worse. I mean it really could be. You don't know, when you feel good, maybe I know for myself I play a little bit more aggressive, and I go for it a little bit more. Where now I'm sort of backing off a little bit, I'm trying to hit it into certain areas and hoping that I can make up and down, or even hit it close.

I know coming into this tournament I was hitting the ball as good as I could possibly hit it, and that was just purely, because I only had two weeks off over Christmas, and the last two weeks I've been hitting balls and putting and chipping.

I wanted to make sure when I came out this year I had the form that I had left off with at the end of the last year, with the same ball striking, the same putting and the same pitching as well. That's why, for me, it's a little bit of a damper because I had a lot of confidence coming in here. I still got the confidence though that I could still win the tournament but, you know, I'm sort of like a 50/50. There are certain shots I know I can't hit and I'm just hoping that I hit it in the vicinity of where I'm trying to hit it.

Q. Example, please.

ROBERT ALLENBY: Well every hole, every tee shot I'm trying to hit the fairway. I'm hoping that I get within 5 or 10 yards of the fairway and not too far in the rough. Some holes it really depends on where the wind is coming out of. I'm finding it very hard to hit a hold shot. I did change a few things. I did open up the club face and bring my right hand more over, so I could hold it off a little bit and come through with an open club face and that seems to be allowing when the right to left wind is up, it's allowing me to hit that little bit of a cut, a little bit of a hold shot.

Q. That's what you are having trouble hitting?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Yes, because I'm falling back a little bit on my leg.

Q. Are you at all worried about doing any longish term damage through this competition?

ROBERT ALLENBY: I did ask the question to the Physios. I really can't do any more damage than what I've got. I am having next week off any way. And I will just have a lot of work and do a lot of gym work as far as, you know, stabilizing the ankle. I will work on it and try to stabilize the muscles around the joint.

Q. I was thinking more, you talked about your back being sore.

ROBERT ALLENBY: You know what, it did ease off overnight, Celebrex is a great drug.

Q. Now we're into drugs, great.

(Laughter.)

ROBERT ALLENBY: That's it, you know. It's not illegal. Yes, it relaxed it a lot. It actually feels a lot better today. Just the ankle is still the same.

Q. We were asking Goydos about the tendency of this tournament to be so bunched. He pointed it out it is going into the weekend, but because it's slow paced the first few days, a tiny golf course, when you get into the weekend is when you find the toughest pins, and a little more separation. Do you see that as well?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Well, I think my best finish here is only fourth so I have never really been in the last few groups here so I wouldn't really know.

But, you know, I'm just expecting get out there tomorrow. It's just going to be the same day as today really. It's going to be windy. And obviously playing in the afternoon, the wind is probably going to be up a lot more. Yes, the weekend flags are obviously tucked a little bit more in different positions but sometimes they can work out in your favor, too, depending on where you hit it. So it can work the other way as well.

Q. I've watched you hit a few tee shots, it doesn't seem like you are making these compensations, that you are really losing any distance?

ROBERT ALLENBY: My distance is pretty good. If the wind is downwind a little bit off the right, and I am able to hit my draw, then it goes a fair distance. It goes further than Vijay's. Just as far pretty much.

But it just depends on the direction of the wind and the type of shot that I need to hit.

Q. The reason I ask, if that's the case then you are probably able to hit pretty much the same clubs you would normally hit?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Yes, into the wind the I take about a half a club more. Downwind is pretty much the same. As long as I can hit my little draw, then I'm fine. It will just go with the wind and it will be fine.

Because I'm staying back a bit, and can't release through it, into the wind, obviously it's going to go higher. So they are the tricky ones into the wind. And I leave a lot of shots into the wind out to the right because I can't get off my left side. I'm sort of on my left side and I am back out. That's why I lose a few right.

Q. When you fell did you try and go back to the hotel or did someone come get you?

ROBERT ALLENBY: No, I just kept walking.

Q. You walked all the way back?

ROBERT ALLENBY: No, I kept walking up to Diamond Head. You know, I'm a dumb Australian. I mean, come on. (Laughter.)

What it happened, it actually felt okay, and I looked down at it, I pulled my sock off and had a look and there was no swelling, and then I walked up and came back and still no swelling. But when I stopped, it just went, hoof, like this. (Indicating).

Q. You actually went into the crater and did the hike?

ROBERT ALLENBY: No, no, no, just up the road, that's all. The suburb or whatever it is.

Q. Is this the most physical discomfort you've competed in or a previous time maybe in another sport?

ROBERT ALLENBY: I've had spasms in my back where it's put me out for 8, 10 weeks. This is restrictive. It's just not allowing me to play the golf I really want to play. But I'm just managing my way around the golf course. I think if it was left, I probably wouldn't be here.

Q. You talk about managing yourself around the golf course, and you are 8 under leading the championship, what do you take from that, the fact that you don't have your best physical abilities, and yet you are using maybe more mind about getting around the golf course and scoring well?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Yes, I mean, there is a lot said for that, too. I did that at the end of last year, but I was able to hit the shots that I needed to hit. I think it just makes you a little bit more relaxed, you know, because you know you are going to hit a lot of bad shots. So when you do hit a bad shot, it's okay. You accept it because it's just going to happen. It's frustrating. It's just one of those things I got to deal with it.

I've just been patient with it. I think that's why it enables me to try and plug my way around the golf course. It's one of those golf courses that you could shoot lights out. But it's also one of those golf courses that you could have a bundle on as well.

When I am in the rough, I'm playing pretty safe, trying to hit it into a position where I know well, hoping that I can get it up and down from.

Q. Is safe conservative?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Very much so.

Q. Any grooves issues?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Just out of the rough.

Q. Can you go over your birdies?

ROBERT ALLENBY: 5, driver, 9 iron and then made a 15 footer down the hill.

Q. You had two bogeys at that point, was that a big point in your round?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Well, I bogeyed one yesterday so I figured I'm even par. The bogey at 4, I just pushed a 3 iron into the right and hit a good chip. It was a little bit wet in the grass and the ball just slid off the face. Things like that happen when the grooves aren't what they used to be.

And I missed about a 7 footer coming back.

A birdie at 9, I hit a 5 iron this to the right bunker and then got it up and down.

10, hit a 3 wood off the tee, a little pitch to about 6, 7 feet behind the hole, made it.

16, hit a wedge on to the green out of the rough. Made about a 25 footer.

18, I hit it driver in the right trap, 8 iron out, lob wedge to four feet, in.