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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

November 16, 2011

Robert Allenby

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

Q. Another day of practice and obviously you're paired with the Goose tomorrow, how is that pairing going to look for you guys playing against Jim and Phil, a pretty strong team?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, I actually like the matchup. You know, Goosen and I get along really well, so I know we are looking forward to it.
Obviously Furyk and Mickelson are two very, very tough competitors, and this is a very tough golf course, too. I think it's evenly matched up. I don't think it matters who you can play in this competition, we can all play each other on a given day. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a good challenge, that's for sure.

Q. Has he felt a little rusty coming in?
ROBERT ALLENBY: He'll be fine. He'll be all right. Once he putts his game face on, he'll be just fine.

Q. Would you agree that you're underdogs --
ROBERT ALLENBY: Well, we've only one once and it was here. We came very close down in South Africa. But we have lost all of them in America and Canada.
You know, I think anything can happen this week. I really like our team. We have got a fantastic team. It's made up of some senior players and a lot of young players that are very enthusiastic to do well here. I think we have five Aussies in the team that are really excited to play. You know, Ernie Els has won here before on this course, and you know have got three local boys as well.

Q. Can you quantify the local knowledge, we talk about the local knowledge of Royal Melbourne, is that really important?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Oh, it's definitely important. This is a golf course that requires a lot of strategy, not only off the tee but your approach shots into the green. It's one of the courses that you have to hit certain sides of the fairway depending on where the flag is positioned on the green.
You know, when these greens get as hard and as fast as what they are right now, you've got to be very careful. If you short-side yourself there's no way that you can make an up-and-down. If you hit in the bunker, right-hand side bunker right side of the flag no way you can get up-and-down unless you make a 45 or 50 footer coming back and your odds of doing that on these greens are not great because they are so slick. There's a lot of break on these greens. Speed on the greens is probably the most crucial thing. Obviously you have to have a good line but the speed is really what you have to get down at the end of the day, because the greens are just so severe.

Q. Ernie said yesterday that make no mistake about it, this is an Aussie team and you are going to feed off not only the crowd but in the team room as well. Can you describe the excitement you and the Aussies have, and is it a bit of pressure as well heading into the competition?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, I mean, I'm definitely very excited. When Greg picked me for the team, I was pretty happy. I told him I was very grateful of him picking me. I've had a lot of success here at Royal Melbourne throughout my career. I've played here since I was about 12 years old. It's a golf course that I know very, very well, just like Geoff Ogilvy. Yeah, sure, there's going to be some nerves there for sure. Always whenever you're playing in front of your home crowd, you want to do well for them.
I think the good thing about playing at home is that if you are not quite on sync, the crowds can pick you up. They make you concentrate. They pick you up to another level, and we see that a lot with Tiger and Phil in America, in the majors. If they are not quite on sync and the crowds are just right behind them all the well, the crowds virtually carry them through. It can happen, a lot.
I feel I have not been playing my absolute best golf coming into here but I am definitely keen to get out there and prove myself tomorrow, that's for sure.

Q. Greg has been saying in a you want to rip the Americans' hearts out; are you guys feeding off of that?
ROBERT ALLENBY: We have all got knives in our backs. (Laughter) put a little pistol in there, as well.
No, you know what, we are very, very determined. We are a very, very determined team we don't want to lose. That's a true fact. We have come here to win, and we like our chances.

Q. Where were you when the pairings were made?
ROBERT ALLENBY: I was out on the golf course.

Q. Did you watch it?
ROBERT ALLENBY: No, no. My caddie, Robert Floyd, he had a look on the Internet on his phone and pretty much told us.

Q. What did you think of the 6-slot?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, that's going to be interesting, isn't it. I think there will be a lot of media out there. (Laughter).

Q. Do you think Scotty is ready for it?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Scotty is hitting the ball fantastic, he really is. Scotty has the most beautiful swing in the world and has probably the best caddie in the world, as well. They are a great combination, the two of them together.
Stevie has proven himself that he is the best caddie out there, with all of the wins and major wins he's had under his belt and all of the players he's caddied for. So, you know, they are a great combination. It's going to be a lot of hype out there tomorrow. But you know, I think we are all ready for it, that's for sure. It doesn't matter if Scotty and K.J. are playing Tiger and Stricker. It really doesn't matter at the end of the day.
Our job is just to go out there and try and win, that's all it is.

Q. There was a bit of rain last night. Did you notice any difference between yesterday and today on the greens?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, the greens softened up maybe just a little bit. Speed-wise, still the same, very quick. Maybe running at 13, even more. Down here is probably 14, 15, 16. On the flat, they are probably a good 13 I would say. I know they wouldn't don't want to get them any faster than that because these greens, with a little bit of wind, which I think is coming on Friday would be nearly unplayable. So you have to be careful as well.

Q. So they are softer?
ROBERT ALLENBY: A little bit. I could see some pitchmarks on some of them. They were not very deep but I could see some.

Q. The fairways, are they perhaps a little easier?
ROBERT ALLENBY: I've played this course a lot and these are about as soft of fairways as I've seen at Royal Melbourne. Normally if you hit it off line and it goes down a certain line on some of the par 4s and par 5s, if you overcook it, you can run into a tee tree or into the rough; whereas these fairways are quite soft. And I think it's just the new grass and it's the type of grass that's used but the fairways are in perfect condition, they really are.
I've always said it's the best golf course in the world and I think they have proven themselves this week, too, that it still is.

Q. Do you think it might hurt the American Team, if the wind comes up, having never played in those conditions around here?
ROBERT ALLENBY: You have probably 24 of the best players in the world here apart from the Europeans. We all can adapt to probably all conditions. You have got a lot of Major winners on both teams. I think that the Aussies play in the wind really well, probably the best. But it's hard to say. I mean, only -- I can tell you on Sunday night whether they could handle it or not.

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