Allenby breaks through

"Aussie Rules" is the decidedly jingoistic name which Greg Norman gave to one of his splendid boats. And given the weekend's sporting developments on both sides of the Atlantic, it would be difficult to argue with the sentiments therein.

First there was Australia's Harry Kewell of Leeds United being named England's Young Footballer of the Year, while north of Hadrian's Wall, compatriot Mark Viduka of Celtic was voted Scotland's Footballer of the Year. And late on Sunday, we had the sight of Robert Allenby succeeding another Australian, Stuart Appleby, as Houston Open champion.

Allenby's success became a particularly appealing spectacle when his close friend Appleby was seen on television following every stroke of a dramatic climax. So, we had the sight of Allenby agonising over the various chances that went abegging as the tournament went into suddendeath. It eventually went to four holes with the experienced Craig Stadler, who squandered three priceless chances of victory.

All were with the putter - from four feet, six feet and again from six feet. As it happened, the first miss was at the opening play-off hole, the 18th, where Stadler's three putts allowed Allenby the remarkable luxury of being able to halve the hole in bogey, despite having hit his second into water.

But the 28-year-old's success was remarkable for other reasons. Disappointed by ongoing problems with the blade, he decided before the event to switch to a cack-handed method. And it worked brilliantly, especially with a highly-pressurised six-footer at the first play-off hole and with a 10-footer for the title.

When Allenby captured the English Open at the Forest of Arden in 1996, it was no more than was expected by his mentor, Peter Thomson. At that time, Thomson was convinced that Allenby had the talent to be the best of the current generation of Australian golfers, possibly among the best Aussies of all time.

But the 1996 season ended disastrously for the native of Melbourne. In October, Allenby broke his sternum and sustained facial injuries in a car crash in Spain. Recovery was slow, but he eventually earned a US Tour card by finishing 17th in the Qualifying School at the end of 1998.

Now, he has broken through to victory in the same state which, interestingly, also gave Thomson his US breakthrough in 1956, when he won the Texas Open. Allenby, who was an outstanding amateur and played in the Eisenhower Trophy in 1990, will be remembered in this country for a spirited challenge in the 1995 Irish Open at Mount Juliet. After a sparkling, opening 67, he went on to complete an aggregate of 278 to be only one-stroke out of a three-way play-off involving Howard Clark, Stuart Cage and the eventual winner, Sam Torrance.

As it happens, that also marked the only appearance by Stadler in the Irish Open. Now, a month away from his 47th birthday, the standard of his putting under pressure on Sunday, suggested that he is getting regular visions of the mad dog behind the hole.

Indeed with 12 tour victories to his credit, including the 1982 US Masters, it would seem that Stadler's winning days are behind him, except of course for the more gentle environment of the Seniors Tour which is little more than three years away.