Robert Allenby tells caddie, 'You're sacked,' during Canadian Open

ByABC News
July 23, 2015, 9:41 PM

— -- A heated confrontation between Tour veteran Robert Allenby and his caddie during Thursday's first round of the Canadian Open led to Allenby firing his caddie midround, then having a fan jump in to caddie for his last nine holes.

According to Golf.com, Allenby's caddie, Mick Middlemo, insisted he use an 8-iron for his fourth shot on the par-5 13th at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Canada. Allenby had wanted a 7-iron for the shot, which was about 150 yards out.

Going with his caddie's advice, Allenby's shot fell short of the hole and into a creek. He tripled the hole.

Allenby, who finished the round with an 81, recounted the confrontation that followed to ScoreGolf.com.

"I said to him, 'You know this happens every week. This has happened for like the last three or four or five months. We keep making bad mistakes, and you're not helping me in these circumstances,'" said Allenby, 44. "And he just lost the plot at me. He just told me I could go eff myself.

"And I said, 'Look, you need to slow down. I mean just calm down.' And then he just got right in my face as if he wanted to just beat me up," he said. "I said, 'Stop being a such and such and calm down and get back into the game.' And he just got even closer and closer, and I just said, 'That's it, you're sacked.' I said, 'I will never have you caddie ever again.' And we never spoke for the rest of the (first nine), and when we got to 18 we walked off, and he said some smartass remark to me, and I said, 'You don't deserve to be caddying out there.' And he just got right in my face and threatened me, so I said, 'Go.' So he left."

Middlemo had a different account of the confrontation, telling GolfChannel.com that it was Allenby who lost his cool and became verbally abusive.

"I said, 'Look, if you want someone to abuse, get someone out of the parking lot,'" Middlemo said. "He said, 'I'm going to get a caddie banned for life on this Tour.' And I asked if it was me, and he said, 'Yes.' That was it."

Middlemo told GolfChannel.com that he is the fourth caddie to walk off during a round while working for Allenby.

After Middlemo walked off the course, Allenby carried his own bag to the 18th green to speak with officials, and according to Golf.com, that's when a fan offered his services.

Allenby said yes to the fan, Tom Fraser, a local school principal, allowing him to caddie for Allenby's last nine holes. Allenby birded the first hole with Fraser on the bag, but later had four straight bogeys, finishing with a 43.

Allenby later withdrew from the tournament, finishing with a 9-over 81.

"He did a great job," Allenby said of Fraser, 61. "He did everything he was told. He was a nice guy. I'm really thankful that he helped me out. It was nice to have someone friendly on the bag who didn't want to threaten me."