Robert Allenby’s caddie storms off mid-round after pair nearly come to blows at Canadian Open
Not the first time Australian has fallen out with his assistants
Robert Allenby’s bizarre season took another strange turn when his caddie walked off the course midway through the first round of the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday.
It is second time in eight years that Allenby’s caddie has quit during the round, leaving the player to find a spectator to carry his bag for the remaining holes.
The trouble started at Allenby’s fourth hole, the par-five 13th at Glen Abbey, when the 44-year-old Australian and bagman Mick Middlemo disagreed over club selection for the approach shot.
His subsequent shot found the creek in front of the green, which led to a heated confrontation and a triple bogey.
I’ve been called a bad caddie ... but when the personal insults come in and you’re being called a fat so-and-so ... I got a little bit peeved by it and then the third time he said it I walked up to him and basically said ‘I dare you to say that to me again’
"My nerves have been rattled. I’m in shock," Allenby said after shooting 81 and withdrawing from the tournament. "This is the worst incident I’ve ever witnessed as a player.