Golfer Fires Caddie Halfway Through Canadian Open Round

The same Australian PGA golfer who claimed he had been mugged in Hawaii at the Sony Open this year almost came to blows with his caddie at the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday, prompting the looper to leave midway through the round.

This marks the fourth time a caddie has quit on Robert Allenby during play.

Robert Allenby was about to hit his fourth shot at the thirteenth hole at Glen Abbey, when he and his caddie Mick Middlemo started arguing over club selection. Allenby had already lost a penalty stroke off the tee. Middelmo apparently advised Allenby to use an 8-iron rather than a 7-iron; Allenby then left his shot short of the green and in a creek, which led to a triple bogey.

Allenby told ScoreGolf.com:

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.” 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.

Middlemo offered another version of the events, telling GolfChannel.com that Allenby exploded, “I’m so sick of this fu—– bu—— you c—.”Middlemo continued, “I said, ‘Look, if you want someone to abuse, get someone out of the parking lot.’ And then he said it to me again and I said, ‘I dare you to call me a c— again.’ That was it.”

Middelmo added that Allenby threatened, “I’m going to get a caddie banned for life on this Tour.” Middlemo asked if Allenby was referring to him, and Allenby replied, “Yes.” Middlemo said, “He was 20 yards ahead of me and I put the bag down and got my stuff and hung my bib on the bag and then I walked away and went home.”

Allenby carried his bag to the first tee, where a fan, Tom Fraser, a school principal from Ontario, Canada, offered to serve as his caddie. Allenby birdied the first hole, but then bogied the fourth through seventh holes, carding an 81 for the round. He asked for a security escort when he left the course, claiming Middlemo threatened him, saying, “I’ll be waiting for you in the car park.”