Robert Allenby Fired Caddie Following Argument on Course

Robert Allenby, the golfer who claimed he was beaten up and kidnapped in Hawaii earlier this year, finds himself in the news cycle again this week for an usual decision during the RBC Canadian Open. During the second round on Thursday Allenby got into a dispute with his caddie, Mick Middlemo, apparently over whether to use a 7-iron or 8-iron on the par-4 13th hole.

Allenby ended up with a triple-bogey on the hole … and then the two started bickering.

Jason Logan from ScoreGolf spoke with Allenby after the round and produced this account of what went down:

"“I said to him, ‘You know this happens every week. This has happened for like the last three or four or five months. We keep making bad mistakes and you’re not helping me in these circumstances,’” Allenby said after his round of 81. “And he just lost the plot at me. He just told me I could go eff myself. And I said, ‘Look, you need to slow down. I mean just calm down.’ And then he just got right in my face as if he wanted to just beat me up. I said, ‘Stop being a such and such and calm down and get back into the game.’ And he just got even closer and closer and I just said, ‘That’s it, you’re sacked.” I said, ‘I will never have you caddie ever again.’ And we never spoke for the rest of the (first nine) and when we got to 18 we walked off and he said some smartass remark to me and I said, ‘You don’t deserve to be caddying out there.’ And he just got right in my face and threatened me so I said, ‘Go.’ So he left.”"

Allenby then picked out a fan from the gallery to carry his clubs for the final nine holes.

That’s Allenby’s side of the story. Middlemo talked to ESPN.com about the incident saying Allenby’s version was only partially accurate.

"“I just wished it had never gone this far. But he is again using the media to make himself look like the victim,” Middlemo told ESPN.com. “The discussion was only about waiting for the wind to die down and hit the 8-iron; the 7-iron was never discussed. Not once. He came up 10 meters short of the front of the green. … He hit a bad shot. “He said, ‘I can’t believe this fat c–t,’ loud enough for everyone to hear. There’s a lot as a caddie I can take but a personal attack like that. … If this was an office in any country in the world, that would be considered bullying. … I can take it if you call me the worst caddie in the world, tell me I’m horrible at picking clubs, but there’s a line you just can’t cross.”"

Reports state four caddies have walked off during rounds with Allenby. He withdrew from the tournament on Friday.

[Photo via USA Today Sports Images]