Word came out in July that Robert Allenby was a bit of a terror to work under. He got into such a heated exchange with his then-caddie, Mick Middlemo, that Middlemo quit on the spot and stormed off the course. Most likely seeking retribution, the former caddie spilled to news sources that Allenby was lying about a much publicized kidnapping and assault he was subjected to in Honolulu. Now, this may seem like the next best thing to living well is publicly outing your enemies as duplicitous. But Allenby showed that his nasty streak was well and fully alive when he attempted to get the last word in an interview with USA Today.
“The only caddie I’ve ever had in nearly 25 years of playing professional golf, (Middlemo) was the one who says, ‘You can throw anything at me. Anything. I have the toughest skin of them all.’ He was the one who cried like a baby in the end.”
However, in contrast to Allenby’s dig at Middlemo, several of his 24 former caddies have revealed that Middlemo is not the problem here. Known as
“The Beast”, Robert Allenby is the kind of impossible character who would make a saint sweat blood.
“The running joke is, ‘Did the Beast get out of his cage today?'” said Cameron Ferguson, “Especially when there’s a little pressure on, Robert becomes that beast even more.”
“You’re always on edge,” Jason Shortall commented, “If he hits a bad shot, it’s going to be put back on you. You’re going to hold back and let him make the mistake. You don’t want the consequences of saying something and not being right.”
Guess Robert Allenby could take some life lessons from the old adage: If everywhere you go smells like sh*t, maybe it’s time to check your shoes.
