Like a lot of other people here at The Australian club, I made my way out to the 11th hole on Friday afternoon to watch group number 27 go by. Geoff Ogilvy and Brandt Snedeker together made up two thirds of the threesome, but the man most of us were there to see was Robert Allenby. Earlier this week, of course, the two-time Australian Open champion made headlines with his plea for politeness and courtesy from all spectators. Interesting move that, especially given championship executive chairman Paul McNamee s well-publicised attempt to create a Phoenix Open-like stadium hole at the very-same short 11th. Allenby might as well have painted a bulls-eye on his back or his forehead. The sense of anticipation was high when Allenby appeared on the tee. And, to his credit, the 35-year old Melburnian rose to the occasion, striking a beautifully drawn iron shot to no more than eight feet from the cup. Even those who come to heckle were suitably impressed. Snedeker, too, gained his share of the applause when he found the back of the green. Only Ogilvy s tee-shot provoked a series of groans, the former US Open champion s ball finding sand left of the putting surface. The fun really started as Allenby approached the green. Allowing his playing partners to get there ahead of him he clearly loves an entrance – he donned a pair of bright red earmuffs and, as the crowd roared its approval, he gestured first for more derision then to suggest that he couldn’t hear them. It was all good-natured stuff and everyone was clearly enjoying the moment. After a bit more play-acting, Allenby removed the muffs and threw them into the loudest section of the crowd assembled in the Oakley Drummond tent behind the green. Unfortunately, he did so before either of his companions had played their second shots, Ogilvy from the bunker and Snedeker from the back fringe. Neither shot seemed to be too adversely affected though; Ogilvy splashed out to about four feet before the American putted virtually stiff, but the point here is that they might have been. Next up, Allenby missed his birdie putt with something to spare on the left side, tapped in for par, then tossed his ball in the same direction as he had the muffs. More commotion ensued, all while Ogilvy had to stand and wait. And, when the din had eventually died down, one of the world s best putters hit what had to have been his worst putt of the day. It missed by at least two inches to the left. Now, there is no knowing whether or not Ogilvy was disturbed by any or all of what went on and he certainly wasn t complaining after completing a disappointing round of 73 but the point is that Allenby should have waited until all three balls were safely into the cup before indulging in any horseplay with the gallery. Without descending too far into fuddy-duddydom, golf is a game where, by tradition, the rights of one s fellow competitors are at least as important as one s own. Allenby broke that code. Half an hour later, a similar thing happened on the same green. After holing out for his par, American Kevin Stadler repeated Allenby s schtick by tossing his ball to the baying crowd. This time it was Aussie Peter Senior s turn to wait and, to his credit, he holed his putt. But all that went before it can t have helped. And, should this sort of thing be encouraged further, it is inevitable that the integrity of the competition will eventually be compromised. Eventually, someone is going to miss a vital putt because the unthinking actions of a fellow competitor distracted him from the task in hand. Yes, I know, I m no fun. And maybe I do need to get out more. But this is the Australian Open, one of the world s most important championships, not a circus.
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