	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 25, 2005

Robert Allenby

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

JAMES CRAMER: Robert Allenby over Kirk Triplett this afternoon. Robert, congratulations on your win today, and moving into the quarter finals tomorrow. Get us started with a comment about your play this afternoon before we go to questions.

ROBERT ALLENBY: I'm glad it's over, that's for sure. At one stage I didn't think it was going to be over. But I played all right. I putted really well. In fact I putted pretty awesome. I made a lot of putts, whether for birdies or pars. I always kept the pressure on all the time.

So, I mean, really anytime I made any blunders the only blunder was the three putt on 15. I tried to be too cute with the pitching wedge; I didn't want to go too long like Kirk himself. I just wanted to hit it up on the top plateau, without getting too much spin on the ball, but it landed short, and then I actually hit a pretty good made two really good putts, but none of them went. He made an unbelievable 4th from the back.

But he's a hell of a competitor; I knew it was never going to be over until it's over. Like 16, we had a few good shots in there. And he makes his, which I was always expecting him to make it. And I actually thought I hit my putt pretty good, and it hit a heel print and went right and missed. But I was lucky enough to finish it on 17. It's lucky he missed it.

Q. Could you talk about the fatigue factor of the whole day, both matches and what it's like?

ROBERT ALLENBY: 36 holes in one day is a big task anyway. I'm fit enough, I can do it. It's like walking an extra 27 holes in the mud. This ground is so soft and it's like you're walking three rounds or whatever instead of 36. So it can take a toll. I started to cramp up on my tee shot off 15 and 17 in my right calf. So it's obviously been a long day and probably a little bit low on fluids. But it's survival of the fittest, really. Especially in these tropic conditions.

Q. Is match play a little more draining emotionally than a normal round?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Yes, very much so. I mean, your emotions, from the moment you tee off the first hole and then the moment you finish, it's only after that your emotions actually start to level out because they're going up and down like a yo yo all day. You start off on the 1st and I make 5 at the 1st, and Kirk is on the green for two. He's probably one of the best putters on Tour, and hits it like six feet past. And I thought I better give it to him, and the next minute hits it ten feet past. I'm like, oh, my God, here I'm thinking I'm going to lose the first hole, now all of a sudden I have a chance to win. Those are the type of things that can happen.

You get up 4 up with 4 to go, and next minute he makes an unbelievable par, and I fiddle around and make a three putt and he makes a birdie at the next, and all of a sudden you have two holes left and I'm 2 up, and think I can lose from here. So many things go through your mind, positive and very negative (laughter).

Q. What is your confidence like when you get this far through three rounds? Does it improve?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Each round it's just getting more and more. I'm putting about as good as I can possibly putt at the moment. I made a lot of putts this morning and I made a lot of putts this afternoon. I made a few bogeys this afternoon, maybe a little bit lack of concentration in there, but my putting was the savior. Every time I drove it in the woods, all of a sudden I've got a chance to make birdie or make par. I always seem to get up and down and keep the pressure on.

Q. As you size up the rest of the week, however long it lasts, there's only eight guys left and you see that just about everyone amongst the top eight seeds look like they're going to be gone, does that change anything at all?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Not really, because it doesn't matter that just says something right there in itself. It doesn't matter who you play; anyone in this field can win. You guys don't know a lot of Nick O'Hern, he knocked off it's just one of those tournaments where anything can happen. I really don't think it matters how good a player he is, how highly ranked he is or not.

Q. Are you talking Nick or Tiger?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Anyone.

Q. After your frustrations last year with the putter, can you pinpoint where the improvements come from and why?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Just my routine. I've worked pretty hard. I spent a lot of time at Phoenix Monday, Tuesday with Rotella, and I had a gutful of the way I was putting, and it was just that's the reason why I'm not shooting good scores every week. But I just changed my routine and just let it go. Whether they go in or whether they're not, as long as I put a good stroke on it is all I care about. At the moment the hole is getting in the way and that's nice.

Q. Conditions today compared to yesterday?

ROBERT ALLENBY: They're getting better. They're definitely getting better. Still very soft, which you can imagine. But still no run. Actually I did get a run today; I hit a cart path on the 9th off the tee.

Q. Faxon said putt like you don't care; have you ever heard that line?

ROBERT ALLENBY: That's pretty much what I'm trying to do. If you put a good stroke on it, what does it matter where it goes. As long as you get the first bit right, the end should take care of itself. And that's all I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to keep it simple.

I actually think when I made the three putt on 15, I broke my routine on the short putt. Maybe that's why I missed it. It's pretty hard to concentrate on everything.

Q. That helps on these greens, too where

ROBERT ALLENBY: The greens are getting much better. The greens this afternoon they rolled them after the first 18. Now we're getting less and less players out there, they're getting much better. I think tomorrow they'll be fantastic. I love putting on poa greens. I grew up on these type of greens.

Q. What do you do to recharge between now and tomorrow, sleep, fluids?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Probably go hit a few putts and just take it easy, just rest and go to the gym, just not much. I'll do something to exercise and keep loose and stretch and get some fluids into myself and have a nice dinner and then probably I don't know what time I'll be off tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be early, so an early night.

Q. Does Rotella charge you more than he charges other people?

ROBERT ALLENBY: I don't know. I know he'd charge you a lot if you went and saw him, because I'd tell him to charge you triple.

End of FastScripts.

About ASAP Sports • FastScripts Archive • Recent Interviews • Captioning • Upcoming Events • Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297