Robert Allenby stands by his story that he was abducted, robbed and beat up on Friday night in Hawaii despite others providing conflicting details.
News emerged on Saturday that the Australian golfer was allegedly kidnapped outside a wine bar where he was drinking after missing the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii Friday. A photo showed injuries to Allenby’s face, and the golfer’s caddie said Allenby had his wallet and cellphone stolen.
Allenby allegedly said he was thrown out of a car and had to take a taxi about six miles to the hotel where he was staying, but his story was called into question Monday by an alleged witness.
A homeless woman claimed she stumbled upon Allenby a block away from the bar. Here is what she told 9News in Australia:
Charade Keane, a local homeless woman, told 9NEWS she was just one block from a wine bar when she found Allenby trying to pay off two men to get his belongings back.
Ms Keane said she saw Allenby trying to offer the men $500 but they became aggressive.
She said she was helped by another man, believed to be a former soldier, to get Allenby in a taxi.
“There was two people there also that were sort of arguing with him,” Ms Keane said.
“So I asked him to come with me, I said ‘this guy needs help’.
Allenby believes he was targeted by the alleged perpetrators. He says he was approached at closing time of the bar and was separated from friends. He says he was told that his friends were waiting for him and that he should take the elevator down to meet him. When he got off the elevator, he says some people beat him up, threw him in the trunk of a car and kidnapped him.
In text messages to Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte, Allenby questioned the homeless woman’s claims.
“I’m guessing she’s getting paid” Allenby said. “It’s such a shame that people are focusing on whether the story is true. I say you only have to look at me to see the truth.”
Allenby also says he may have to take time off before golfing again.
“Not feeling great. Can’t open my eye. Haven’t been able to sleep. Thinking about going to the hospital,” Allenby told Rosaforte over text.
With Allenby being groggy and confused after allegedly being beaten up and kidnapped, it’s understandable that he would be hazy on details and perhaps get his distance from the hotel wrong. But this really makes you wonder about the details regarding this story.
