	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

THE HONDA CLASSIC

February 29, 2008

Robert Allenby

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

STEWART MOORE: Thanks for spending a few moments with us here in the interview room at the Honda Classic after a great second round 68 out there in what's really becoming some windy conditions. Talk about what you saw in your closing nine as the wind is starting to pick up.
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, I mean, think the wind started to pick up when we got to about 15, actually. I mean, any time you have to hit 5-iron in there, you know it's blowing.
So it's just going to be one of those weeks where I think it will go through the weekend, as well. It's just this time of the year, it's always blowy here, and just like last year, you've just got to play the wind.
You know, some holes are going to be easy and some holes are going to be tough. But I think there's probably more tough holes on this golf course than easy ones, that's for sure. You know, it's just a matter of keeping it in play and just hitting quality shots and making the putts when you need to.

Q. There's a lot of guys in this field who are from South Florida, a lot of guys used to the conditions down here. Obviously you're not in the minority there. What is it, though, about this course that really suits your eye? This is six pretty good rounds here for you.
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, I like this golf course. I've said this last year and I've said it this year that it's a golf course that sets up really well for me. You've definitely got to be a good ball-striker to win around here, and there's a lot of holes where you're hitting 4-irons and 3-irons into, whether they are par 3s or par 4s. I hit 3-iron into 10 today and it was downwind, and I hit a good drive.
I mean, I know playing with Retief Goosen, who hits it a long way; he hit 3-iron, as well. There's just so many good holes and good quality holes, and even the par 3s, there's not an easy par 3 out there.
You know, maybe 7 is the easiest par 3 out there, but it's still tricky because it's playing straight downwind and you know, so it's just a good quality golf course. A lot of great holes, and you've got to hit it really well to really shoot under par.

Q. You came so close last year; how did you take it when you weren't able to win it?
ROBERT ALLENBY: I took it fine. I mean, it is what it is. You move on. You know, I know I'm a good enough player to win this tournament, there's no doubt about it. I should have won last year and I shouldn't have made the mistakes on 15 and 16 that I did.
But, that's golf. You move on and we're here now and really all I'm focusing on now is tomorrow, and nothing else. Last year was last year. This year is this year, but you know, I just want to put myself in a position to win on Sunday. That's really all I want to do is just play solid again tomorrow, and just play well enough to be in there with a chance with five holes to go.

Q. Kind of a follow-up, when you walk off 18 and you're one shot out, are you thinking: "I can't wait to get back here last year?"
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, I did, that's exactly my thoughts. I nearly made -- I had a long putt at 18 for birdie last year, and I lipped it out from about 40 feet. Had that gone in, things might have been a little different. I might have holed the trophy. I've never lost a playoff, so I've got to think my odds are pretty good, ten out of ten.
But that's golf. Maybe that happened for a reason. Maybe that's what's given me the urge this year to try and win it this year.
But all I can do is just play my best tomorrow and hopefully I can keep playing the way I have been playing the last two days, because I have been playing really good golf, and just keep the putter rolling and keep hitting some quality shots.

Q. How many times have you played this course since that tournament and before this week?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Just once. I played the Tico Torres charity event a couple weeks ago and won that, too, 20-under, so that was pretty good. But I had a good team. (Laughter).

Q. Are you playing some of your best golf now, or where would you rank your game?
ROBERT ALLENBY: I think if I was winning, then I could definitely say that I'm playing my best, but obviously without winning, then I'm not playing my best. But I definitely like the way I'm hitting the ball and the way I'm swinging it. My putting stroke is probably the best it's been for years.
So I know there's some good things about to happen. It's a matter of just stay positive and just being really, more importantly, just be patient, because if you course it, it will never happen.
But you know, I've been working on some good things over the last year with my swing and my putting stroke last sort of start of this year, so things -- my whole game feels good. I'm really happy with it.

Q. You're one of a couple of players today who had a strong round but bogeyed their last hole. Does that bug you more than others because you want to finish strong?
ROBERT ALLENBY: It's not the greatest way to finish, is it. But I mean, it's not going to hurt me. I mean, tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow I might birdie the last.
But you know, that's just the way it is. 18 and 9, you know, you think, oh, they are two easy holes. But they are not. 18, you can only just get it to the fairway because it's playing that strong from way, way back there on that new tee. And then you're hitting a 3-iron to lay up into about a 15-yard gap radius that you can lay up in, and then you're left with an 8-iron into the wind. So it's no easy hole.
And you know, 9, you've got to bust a drive just to get it up the fairway and then the problem with me today is I hit it in the right rough and I was aiming right to, try and hit a draw and I hit it dead straight. It looked like someone had stood on it; the lie was that bad. All I could do was chip it out and take my medicine and hit it on the green and try and make the putt. Just didn't hit it close enough to make it.
But there's two days to go. Long way to go.

Q. When you have a near miss like last year, how long does that stay with you, and is it something that you have to learn to get rid of as you're out here?
ROBERT ALLENBY: I think by the time I got in my car, it had already gone. I mean, as I said before, you can't dwell on it. Otherwise, you'll never do any good. I've played this game for 17 years as a professional, and I know that you just can't carry anything like that.
It is what it is. It's golf. Anything can happen. I've lost many a tournaments by a shot before, but I've won a lot of tournaments by a shot, as well. You know, I've had my fair share on wins, 21 of them. I know how to win and I know how to accept losing by a shot.

Q. The wind pretty much turned around today, right? It's very different wind?
ROBERT ALLENBY: It's a little different. I mean, not much really. It's still coming out of here, so 9 was into off the right. Yesterday we hit driver, 6-iron. Today, if I had hit the fairway, I probably would have been hitting a 6- or 7-iron in there today, as well.
So not a lot of difference. Just gusting a little bit more maybe, and I think it will only probably get a little bit stronger as the day goes on.

Q. Kind of along those same lines, is the wind stronger now than it was when you played in the afternoon yesterday?
ROBERT ALLENBY: No, not yet.

Q. Not yet?
ROBERT ALLENBY: No. Nowhere near it. Yesterday afternoon was pretty strong. It was, you know, 20, 25 knots.

Q. Is this the difficult direction to have the wind in the Bear Trap?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Any wind with any northerly in it, that would be the toughest way to play this golf course.
STEWART MOORE: Thanks, Robert.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297