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Robert Allenby, fresh from his play-off loss in Memphis, says he is playing well enough to go one better in the US Open on Sunday.
“I know I’m playing well enough to win this week,” said Allenby on the eve of the Open at Torrey Pines.
“I’ve been working hard at various areas of my game and the results just haven’t been there. Last week was a huge step. It was nice to get a little closer.”
The 36-year-old Australian took nothing but positives out of his St Jude Championship performance in Memphis, even if his previous perfect 10-0 career play-off record was ruined by American Justin Leonard on Sunday.
Allenby, year in and out one of the best players in the world from tee to green, will have to buck history to have any chance this week, because he has an inexplicably mediocre major championship record, not that he likes being reminded of it.
“I’ve tried to delete them out of my mind,”said Allenby as his mind guru Peter Crone stood nearby.
“The quicker you can forget about negative things, the better off you are. It’s only the brain that gets in the way. I’m just looking forward, not looking behind. Last week is done and now I’m moving on to this week.”
Allenby has no complaints about the Torrey Pines course set-up, even if he found it impossible to stop his approach shot on the green at No. 6 and No. 8 today.
“It’s a tricky course, but the fairest we’ll ever play,” he said.
“Tee to green, it’s the easiest you’ll ever see a US Open, but the greens have a lot of slopes and are hard to hold.
“The way they’ve done the rough (which gets longer further from the fairways) is fantastic, but the greens are so firm you still probably won’t be able to stop it on the green, but at least you’ve got a chance to get it to the green.”
Allenby would not be able to play without the aid of four daily anti-inflammatory pills that help his severe tennis elbow.
“I’m still playing on one arm,” he said. “It’s been a bitch. I take two (pills) in the morning and two at night. If I didn’t take that, I wouldn’t be here. I can’t move my arm if I don’t take the anti-inflammatories.”
He plans to have a cortisone injection next week. If that doesn’t help, surgery is an option, but it would mean several months off, something he would rather avoid if at all possible.
Adam Scott, meanwhile, did not show for his scheduled press conference on tournament eve.
Scott, who reportedly has a broken finger in his right hand, has not spoken to the media all week, but there seemed no doubt he would take his place in the field.
He played a morning practice round before apparently leaving the course.
Scott is playing the first two rounds with the world’s top two players, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.