Allenby stays afloat despite injury
03 May, 2008
Robert Allenby almost pulled out of the Wachovia Championship because of tendinitis in his right elbow, but he was glad he didn't after occupying a promising position at the halfway mark.
Allenby briefly held the sole lead after four birdies in the first five holes, but he finished poorly, bogeying the 16th and 18th holes for an ultimately disappointing two-under-par 70 at Quail Hollow.
Nevertheless, he was very much in the hunt, equal eighth with fellow Victorian Geoff Ogilvy, five strokes behind second round leader Jason Bohn.
"When I woke up Wednesday I could not move my arm. I had to lift it up with my left hand," said Allenby, who is playing with a square-shaped air bubble pack strapped just below his elbow.
"It might look a bit gay but it seems to be working. It separates the muscle from the tendon and I'm hitting shots with no pain."
However, Allenby felt plenty of mental pain after his poor finish.
"I've left at least 10 shots out there in two days, and that's disappointing, because I know I could be way ahead of the field.
"If I had a white straight jacket, I'd probably put it on now. One hole I feel good and the next hole I feel like a psycho. That's part of being a golfer I guess.
"I know if I could get it together mentally, I could shoot six-or-seven-under quite easily, but I've got a few things to work on."
It's no secret that Allenby has a stellar long game, but that his chipping and putting often let him down at the highest level.
And so it was a the par-five 16th, where he three-putted from six metres after stroking a pitiful first putt that dribbled 1.5 metres long and wide.
But it was a poor drive that cost him at the par-four 18th, as he yanked his tee shot and was lucky to stay out of the creek that snakes along the left side of the fairway.
Ogilvy, meanwhile, also shot a second straight 70, while several other Australians were also well positioned, including Rod Pampling and Nick O'Hern, six shots adrift.
But Adam Scott barely made the cut with nothing to spare, sinking a clutch four-metre par putt at the last after previously frittering away three bogeys in the previous six holes.
He won the battle but may have lost the war, 10 shots off the pace.
Leader Bohn tamed the testing afternoon winds to shoot 67 and set the pace at nine-under 135, two strokes clear of fellow American Anthony Kim.
"The course played extremely difficult," Bohn said. "I did a lot of nice things, so I'm happy."
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