Playing the Sony Open with a sore ankle, Robert Allenby kept it simple and fought as best as he could, giving him a 3-under 67 which gave him a short one-shot lead over John Merrick and Steve Stricker.
Steve Stricker had gone through 24 holes without a single bogey, and had shot a 67. Merrick, on the other hand, shot a 68.
Robert Allenby was doing well when he got to Honolulu. In fact, he ended last year with a slew of victories in Australia and South Africa. However, while walking around with Sandy, his wife, he managed to step off a curb and twisted his right ankle quite badly. He went on walking towards Diamondhead, and only upon reaching his room did he notice the ankle’s swelling. Since he flew quite a long distance just to join the event; Allenby felt that he just might be better off in his present condition.
Allenby is managing his way around the golf course. He says, “When you feel good, you play a little more aggressively. Now I’m backing off a little bit, hitting into little areas, hoping to make up-and-down or hit it close. I’ve still got the confidence I could win the tournament.”
Other players in the Sony Open each feel quite good. Anybody from Allenby, Troy Matteson, Paul Goydos, Stricker, and Merrick and others can end up as the event’s winner at this rate.