Allenby loses in eight hole playoff
Robert Allenby went very close to breaking a 10-year drought on the PGA Tour this morning but lost after a mammoth eight holes of sudden death playoff.
Robert Allenby led the field at the Mayakoba Golf Classic for most of the back nine today, and looked certain to win as he arrived at the final hole in regulation, two shots clear of the clubhouse leader, John Huh.
He then hit driver into the trees on the right and made double-bogey sparking a playoff between him at Huh.
Luke Elvy tweeted Allenby’s record over the past 10 years:
“This is his 261st start, seven 2nds; 56 top-10s.”. Most people are aware of Allenby’s playoff record too and assumed a victory was imminent. He is 11-2 worldwide but he did recently lose a three-way playoff at the 2011 Australian PGA Championship.
It looked like a very large monkey was to be thrown off Allenby’s back, but it was not to be. Allenby and Huh played eight holes before a winner was decided. Allenby bogied par-3 10th hole after chipping out of the hazard and missed the putt for par. No player birdied any of the playoff holes (10 and 18) throughout the course of the week.
Allenby kept it together pretty well after the defeat, but was still lamented playing a driver off the 18th during regulation, rather than the 3-wood he preferred. Reportedly, his caddie insisted on the driver.
“Obviously disappointed, disappointed that I didn’t like hit 3-wood off 18 in regulation, like I should have. But that’s the way it goes, you know. You make some mistakes sometimes, and that was a major one, obviously. I mean I had this tournament in the bag, a two-shot lead with one hole to play and just played it like a rookie, pretty much.”
Allenby’s drought continues but great to see him back in contention.
