Robert Allenby: Latest Details on Alleged Kidnapping, Robbery and Attack

Professional golfer Robert Allenby alleged he was kidnapped, beaten and also robbed on Jan. 16 in Honolulu where he was competing at the Sony Open. While he suffered multiple wounds to his face, Allenby is expected to recover.

A person was recently charged with spending thousands of dollars on Allenby's credit cards, but details beyond that are still unclear. Witnesses have reportedly refuted Allenby's story. The golfer also withdrew from the Humana Challenge on Jan. 20. 

Continue for updates.

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Police Say Allenby Not Robbed at Club

Friday, Feb. 13

ESPN.com reported that Honolulu police don't believe that Allenby was robbed at a strip club, as had been previously claimed:

"

A police detective investigating Robert Allenby's ordeal in Hawaii said three people seen leaving a wine restaurant with him are not believed to be connected to the case and that the Australian golfer did not go to a strip club that night.

Det. John McCarthy of the Honolulu Police Department said in a telephone interview Thursday night that evidence shows Allenby was not in the Club Femme Nu in the early morning hours of Jan. 17 when his wallet, credit cards, cash and phone were taken.

"There is no evidence he was ever in that strip club," McCarthy said. "Our investigation shows he was not at Club Femme Nu."

McCarthy said several Australians were in the strip club, but not Allenby.

"It was a case of mistaken identity," he said of reports indicating Allenby was there.

 

"

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Person Charged With Spending $23K on Allenby's Credit Cards

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Robert Ovadia of 7 News Sydney reported that Honolulu PD have charged a "drug addict" with spending $23K on Allenby's credit cards. There's no evidence that Allenby was ever in the strip club.

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Allenby Speaks to Media, Maintains Story

Tuesday, Jan. 27

Robert Allenby spoke to the media on Tuesday and maintained his side of the story. Jason Sobel of the Golf Channel shared some of his comments:  

"

Robert Allenby speaking with the media. "My story has stayed the same. I've only told you what I knew and what somebody told me."

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGC) January 27, 2015"

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Allenby Wasn't Kidnapped as Timeline of Events Surfaces

Monday, Jan. 26

Rex Hoggard of GolfChannel.com revealed Allenby was not kidnapped while recounting a timeline for the events surrounding the golfer's alleged beating and robbery:

"

This much is certain, Allenby – who had missed the cut at the Sony Open earlier in the day – was robbed of most but not all of his credit cards, some $800 in cash and his phone.

Honolulu police continue to chase a trail of purchases that began just minutes after the Australian exited the wine bar... when an unknown man bought two bottles of tequila with one of the golfer’s credit cards at a nearby liquor store. The amount of fraudulent purchases has since skyrocketed to more than $20,000, Allenby said.

It’s just as clear that Allenby was not kidnapped, as he originally was told by a homeless woman. He wasn’t thrown from the trunk of a car six miles from the wine bar and, at least as far as the Honolulu police are currently concerned, he wasn’t assaulted.

These are the facts.

[...]

Despite rumors of an impending arrest in the case Honolulu police remained quiet a week after the incident. Like Allenby, law enforcement officials were still trying to piece together those harrowing moments on Jan. 16.

Allenby was robbed, that much is certain. He wasn’t kidnapped and, at least as far as the police are currently concerned, he wasn’t assaulted. After that, the fine line between fact and fiction becomes as dark and cloudy as a lonely street corner.

"

Hoggard continued by outlining a series of events for the night Allenby claimed he was kidnapped, assaulted and robbed:

"

After having dinner with his caddie, Mick Middlemo, and a friend from Australia, Anthony Puntoriero, Allenby was sitting alone at his table when he was approached by two men and a woman. Middlemo had already left Amuse and Puntoriero was having a conversation with another group at the bar.

[...]

Allenby is next seen about a mile away from the wine bar at Club Femme Nu (pictured at left), an adult entertainment club wedged between a tattoo parlor and a Korean restaurant. Multiple sources who were working at the club on Jan. 16 confirmed to GolfChannel.com that Allenby was there around midnight with 'a group of friends' and ran up a $3,400 bar tab.

"

Hoggard provided more details, including personal accounts from witnesses, at GolfChannel.com.

According to ESPN.com news services, Allenby will be holding a press conference on Tuesday to address the situation. 

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Allenby Allegedly Stated He Was Drugged at Strip Club

Thursday, Jan. 22

Rob Shikina of the Star Advertiser reported a witness claims Allenby told him "he was depressed and had been drugged at a strip club" prior to passing out on the sidewalk. The witness, a homeless man named Chris Khamis, provided his account:

"

'There was no crime (when I was present). It was his stupidity,' Khamis said in an interview. '(Allenby) passed out and hit his head. I was there. Nobody pushed him out of a car.'

Khamis didn't actually see Allenby hurt himself because he had turned around, looking for someone on the street with a phone to call a taxi. At the time, Allenby was not injured.

'I had turned around for just a second,' Khamis said. 'Nobody was around us.'

But when Khamis looked back at Allenby, the golfer was on the ground, bleeding.

'There he was, I was like, 'Oh, my God!''

Khamis said he gave Allenby a stack of napkins from his bag and tried to get Allenby to focus, but Allenby kept repeating that he was a millionaire and waved around his American Express Platinum Card.

"

As Shikina notes, "Khamis' version of events contradicts what Allenby has told other media—a story that he was drugged, kidnapped, thrown into a car trunk and dumped some six miles away in a park."

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Witnesses Speak About Allenby Encounter 

Wednesday, Jan. 21

Christian Red of the New York Daily News provides details from witnesses who interacted with Allenby on the day of the incident:

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According to an Australia Channel 9 News report, homeless man Tao Kaili said he and a friend found the PGA Tour member Allenby passed out on a sidewalk around 11 p.m. Friday, and that Allenby became argumentative and accusatory when they tried to help him.

'He’s accusing me and my friend, ‘You guys are the ones who stole my wallet and phone. The gig is up. Just hand it over,’' Kaili told an Australia Channel 9 News reporter. 'I was like, ‘Oh no. Brother, we’re the one who woke you up. We’re the one that was just helping you.’'

Kaili said he and his friend returned to the site two hours after first seeing Allenby, and that he was still passed out on the sidewalk, but this time with a bloody face. Kaili said Allenby appeared to have injured himself when he fell and hit his face on a rock.

"

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Allenby Withdraws from Humana Challenge

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Sky Sports Golf reported on Tuesday that Allenby withdrew from the Humana Challenge:

ESPN.com provided a statement from Allenby about the decision:

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On the advice of my personal doctor, I have decided to withdraw from this week's Humana Challenge," Allenby said in a statement released through the PGA Tour. "This will enable me to ensure I am fully recovered prior to rejoining the PGA Tour. I anticipate a full recovery and look forward to returning in the near future. ...

Any further updates on the investigation will come from local law enforcement.  

"

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Allenby Responds to Conflicting Reports

Tuesday, Jan. 20 

Allenby responded to the claims made on Monday that differed from his telling of what happened early Saturday morning, according to Golf Channel:

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Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte reported on Monday's "Golf Central" that Allenby texted him, “I’m guessing she’s getting paid” in response to her claims. Allenby later texted Rosaforte, "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.”

"

On Monday, The homeless women who found a bloodied and beaten Allenby opened up about what happened on early Saturday morning per the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (via ESPN.com):

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Charade Keane, who lives in Ala Moana park, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser she couldn't avoid seeing Allenby sitting on a planter with a bloodied face early Saturday. Allenby was talking to two homeless men she knows.

'They started arguing when I got there, and I realized this wasn't well,' she said. 'I needed to get him out of here.'

(...)

A young man in the military later helped Allenby and paid for a taxi to get him back to his hotel, Keane recalled. While they waited for the taxi, Allenby told her about his golfing career and his children.

'He did most of the talking,' she said. 'I didn't have much to say. I'm homeless.'

"

According to the report, the Honolulu police are treating it as a second-degree robbery.

GolfChannel.com also passed along a video from 7News Australia of Allenby thanking Keane for her help:

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Robert Allenby Allegedly Kidnapped in Hawaii 

Saturday, Jan. 17

Attackers allegedly kidnapped, beat and robbed professional golfer Robert Allenby on Friday night in Honolulu.

GolfChannel.com's Will Gray provided details from the incident:

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Allenby's caddie, Mick Middlemo, told Golf Channel's Steve Sands that Allenby was in a wine bar near Waikiki with Middlemo and another friend. ... Neither Middlemo nor the unidentified friend was with the Aussie at the time of the alleged kidnapping.

Allenby sustained significant facial injuries and was robbed of his wallet, cell phone, cash and credit cards, according to Middlemo.

"

Allenby explained his experience to the Australian Associated Press, courtesy of ESPN.com:

"

I didn't think I was going to survive this one.

I was separated from my friend (Anthony Puntoriero) in the bar after we had paid the tab at 10:48 p.m., and he went to the bathroom and next thing you know I'm being dumped in a park miles away.

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. That is where I got the scrapes above my eye from the sidewalk.

[...]

We have some names and numbers and they have some leads to follow up, so I am confident they will get the guys.

With the FBI guys involved, they're the best, the guys on the tour are awesome, and they'll get to the bottom of it.

"

Allenby later issued a statement following the incident, via Jason Sobel of GolfChannel.com:

Middlemo added that the assailants dropped Allenby off in a park more than six miles from the bar from which they kidnapped him. A retired military veteran recovered Allenby and dropped him off at the hotel where he was staying.

Golf Central posted a photo of Allenby's injuries:

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Full story on Robert Allenby who was kidnapped from a bar Friday night, beaten and robbed: http://t.co/aZ8t93E7UB pic.twitter.com/io1aTUIvIG

— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) January 18, 2015"

Golf Channel also shared an image of Allenby the day after the attack:

"

Robert Allenby on kidnapping in Hawaii: ‘Thankful I’m alive’: http://t.co/HIMSdWny5s pic.twitter.com/4aS31TmojA

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) January 18, 2015"

The 43-year-old was in Honolulu for the 2015 Sony Open. He missed the cut after shooting one-over 71s in each of the first two rounds.

According to PGA.com, Allenby has four career PGA Tour wins. He finished as high as 14th in the FedEx Cup standings back in 2008.

Through five events in the 2015 season, Allenby has collected 112 points, good for 78th.