In a bizarre story, Australian professional golfer, Robert Allenby, was kidnapped, beaten, and robbed while in Honolulu, Hawaii. According to Robert, he was at Waikiki’s Amuse Wine Bar along with a close friend and his caddie when the next thing he is waking up in a park more than six miles away feeling groggy.
He remembers getting separated from his party after the tab had been paid. Although Robert has no memory of how the event unfolded, there is some recollection of being discovered outside the park by a man who appeared to be military. In fact, this same man was responsible for paying for his taxi ride back to the hotel where he was staying. There was also a homeless woman who told Robert that she saw a car drive up and a few guys pulling him out and dumping him.
In his statement to reporters, he is completely in shock but extremely lucky to be alive. He believes that he was drugged while in the bar, making it possible for the kidnappers to commit the crime. Robert, age 43, said that while he is in a lot of pain, he should be fine.
In addition to Robert’s statement, his caddie, Mick Middlemo said that the two were there with a friend by the name of Anthony Puntoriero who is with the Australian Associated Press. However, because the trio got separated from one another, he and Puntoriero had no idea what had taken place.
Prior to going to the bar, Robert had missed the cut at the Sony Open being held at the Waialae Country Club. Because of the ordeal, he is not sure if he will be able to play in the upcoming PGA Tour being held in California. Although his wallet was stolen, his facial injuries will heal in time.
For the time being, Robert plans to return to the mainland and determine if he is in any condition to play in next week’s Humana Challenge starting on January 22. In spite of the experience, Robert is optimistic that the remainder of the 2014/2015 PGA Tour season will be a success.
Robert who is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour expressed gratitude to Honolulu’s police department, as well as golf officials for helping him get through this rough time. He also thanked family members, friends, and golf fans who provided tremendous support and well-wishes.