Robert Allenby claims he was drugged, beaten and robbed in Waikiki
Australian golfer Robert Allenby claims he was drugged, beaten and robbed on Friday night before being thrown in the trunk of a car and dumped out in a park some 6 miles from a Waikiki wine bar.
Allenby, who missed the cut earlier in the day at the Sony Open in Hawaii, was out on Friday night with his caddie Mick Middlemo and friend Anthony Puntoriero. After dinner, the trio traveled to Amuse Wine Bar. After some drinks at Amuse, Middlemo left for another establishment, expecting Allenby and Puntoriero to follow, according to Middlemo's account to Wei Under Par. Puntoriero then left Allenby briefly -- perhaps to go to the bathroom -- and returned unable to find the 43-year-old.
Puntoriero called Middlemo, concerned he didn't know where Allenby was and that he was unable to get a hold of him. It's unclear if the pair conducted any physical search for Allenby or presumed he would turn up otherwise fine.
The golfer said he remembers signing his check at 10:48 p.m., then the next thing he recalls is waking up in a park near the bar, apparently tossed out of a vehicle.
"I only know this part because a homeless woman found me and told me she saw a few guys pull up and throw me out of the car," Allenby told the Australian Associated Press. "That is where I got the scrapes above my eye from the sidewalk."
Allenby told the AAP he believes he was drugged by a number of suspects, taken into an underground parking garage where he was attacked and thrown into a car. Middlemo agrees.
“None of us were really that drunk," Middlemo said. "We had a couple bottles of wine. [Allenby] didn’t remember leaving (the bar). He vaguely remembers being with these (three) people. Next thing he knew, he woke up in the park.”
Then, in the park, Allenby said he was harassed by homeless people in the park, save for the woman who extricated him from the situation. A retired, plain-clothes serviceman spotted Allenby, who was without his wallet, any money or his phone, and paid for a taxi for him to return to the Kahala Hotel, where the golfer was staying for the Sony Open. From there, Allenby called police. Allenby then took a picture of his injuries, which he eventually shared with Golf Channel.
Honolulu Police knocked on Puntoriero's door around 3 a.m., according to the Wei Under Par report, asking if he was fine after learning of Allenby's harrowing night.
Allenby returned to Amuse on Saturday to look at surveillance camera footage from when he was there.
“I saw the video and [Robert] was stumbling all over the place," Middlemo said. "Ten minutes before he was fine.”
The case is now in the hands of police, and it is being investigated by the PGA Tour's private security service, staffed by former FBI agents.
On Sunday afternoon, Allenby issued a statement through the PGA Tour:
I'd like to thank the local authorities, Sony Open and PGA Tour officials and others that have assisted me throughout this unfortunate ordeal. I'd also like to thank the many people that have reached out with their well-wishes and support.
Medically, I thankfully didn't suffer anything major beyond some bumps and bruises that will take a bit of time to heal. My plan currently is to fly back to the mainland and at that point, evaluate my ability to play next week at the Humana Challenge. Whatever the outcome regarding my ability to play next week, I anticipate a successful rest of the 2014-15 PGA TOUR season.
Any updates on the investigation will come from local law enforcement.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
