Robert Allenby, another Wizard from

Oz, leads Honda Classic

Australia Rules at the moment in pro golf Stateside. After Geoff Ogilvy's World Match-play mastery, compatriot Robert Allenby has shot a four-under-par 66 to take a narrow lead during the first round of the Honda Classic in Florida.
Allenby birdied the final hole at PGA National Champion Course at Palm Beach to grab a one-shot advantage over six players including Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Stewart Cink before play was suspended due to darkness with nine players left on the course. They will conclude their rounds early today before the second round begins as scheduled.
Allenby, who was four under through 13 holes before alternating two birdies and two bogeys over his final four holes, said: "I was very happy to hit a six iron at the last to six inches, and just tap it in and walk away. I'm happy with four under. I think any time you shoot under par around this golf course, you're doing well. I think four under is a fantastic start. It puts me in great stead for the next three days."
Allenby has not won on the US PGA Tour since 2001 but the Australian enjoyed nine top-10 finishes in 2008, his best yet on the American circuit.
The 37-year-old Australian, 17 years a pro, is still in mourning for his mother, Sylvia, 71, who died of cancer fewer than six weeks ago.
"It would definitely mean a great deal to me (to win) after losing my mom a month ago," said Allenby who spent the latter part of 2008 desperately trying to win a tournament as a final tribute to his mother.
There was the heartbreaking scene at the Australian Masters last November when he broke down with his emotions on the golf course, all in front of a supportive and saddened gallery.
Allenby went to the par-3 15th hole just one shot out of the lead. He knew the plan was for family members to take his mom onto the course in a golf cart late in the round so she could watch the finish. He realised this might be the final time she would have the strength to watch him play in person.
Standing on the 15th tee, Allenby saw his mom arrive, not knowing how much it would impact his game. He says he hit a "fat" 6-iron into a bunker, blasted that shot over the green into another bunker and took two more tries before he got the ball on the green. He somehow made a 25-footer for a double bogey that ended his chances of winning.
Allenby readily admits he lost his composure -- and then he lost it. The weight of the moment caused tears to roll down Allenby's face as he crouched on the 15th green.
"I just let everything get to me," said Allenby, who eventually finished third. "I had that tournament right in the bag and I let that one go. I knew that was probably the last tournament my mom would see me play. But when I walked off the next tee after hitting it straight down the middle of the fairway, I walked to where my mom was, gave her a hug, and she said to me, 'It doesn't matter what you do, just do your best. And whether it's good or bad, all you can do is your best.'"
"I tried so hard to try to win for her while she was alive, and just forced it a little bit," said Allenby.
Garcia is looking to rebound from a stunning first-round exit in last week's WGC-Accenture Match Play. The world No 2 reeled off four birdies on his opening nine holes but could only manage eight pars and a bogey on the back nine.
Unlike Garcia, Cink is looking to build on an impressive showing at the Match Play in which he finished third. The American was flawless on the front nine with four birdies but bogeyed the 14th and 16th before sinking a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to grab a temporary share of the lead.
Also at three-under are Charlie Wi, Jeff Overton, Angel Cabrera and Will MacKenzie.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke both had level par 70s.
McIlroy became a victim of Jack Nicklaus's famous "Bear Trap". The 19-year-old was two under par and only two strokes behind leader Allenby when he ran up a triple bogey 6 on the short 17th at the Nicklaus-designed Champion Course.
McIlroy's tee shot kicked off a bank and was lucky to stay just out of the lake by the green. But, after putting his waterproofs on, his second shot failed to make it up and rolled back into the water. He was still able to play it, but his next attempt flew into a bunker on the other side and by failing to get up and down from there he fell to one over par.
However, McIlroy was on in two with two fine shots at the 604-yard last and two-putted for a birdie 4 and a 70.
Glasgow's Martin Laird, who has made only one cut this year, is on the 73 mark alongside Justin Rose and Ernie Els.
If you look down the scoreboard far enough you will find former Open champion, David Duval, the man who lost the secret of playing good golf and has never found it again.

FIRST ROUND SCORES (incomplete)
Par 70. Darkness caused the first day's play to be suspended with some players still on the course.
66 Robert Allenby (Aus)
67 Will MacKenzie, Charlie Wi (Kor), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Jeff Overton, Stewart Cink, Angel Cabrera (Arg)
68 Y E Yang (Kor), Kent Jones, Chris Riley, David Mathis
69 Chris Stroud, John Merrick, John Senden (Aus), Billy Mayfair, Heath Slocum, John Mallinger, Brian Bateman, D A Points, Jeff Klauk, Steve Marino, John Rollins, Michael Allen, Nathan Green (Aus), Nicholas Thompson
70 Michael Letzig, Brad Adamonis, Bart Bryant, Woody Austin, Darren Clarke (NIrl), James Nitties (Aus), Kevin Streelman, Ben Crane, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Bob Estes, Jeff Maggert, Justin Leonard, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Shaun Micheel, Brandt Jobe
71 Jerry Kelly, Lucas Glover, Joe Ogilvie, David Berganio Jnr., Matt Kuchar, Alex Cejka (Ger), Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Tadd Fujikawa, J J Henry, George McNeill, Paul Goydos, Brett Quigley, Johnson Wagner, Jonathan Byrd, Shingo Katayama (Jpn)
72 Spencer Levin, Bill Lunde, Robert Garrigus, Brian Gay, Gary Woodland, Harrison Frazar, Todd Hamilton, Greg Owen (Eng), Boo Weekley, Briny Baird, Brendon De Jonge, Scott McCarron, Tim Herron, Chris DiMarco, Steve Lowery, Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy, Cliff Kresge, J.B. Holmes, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), John Huston, Carl Pettersson (Swe)
73 Aron Price (Aus), Nick O'Hern (Aus), Tommy Armour III, Derek Fathauer, Justin Rose (Eng), Marc Leishman (Aus), Ernie Els (Rsa), Ryan Palmer, Martin Laird (Sco), Eric Axley, Davis Love III, Greg Chalmers (Aus), Richard S Johnson (Swe), Andres Romero (Arg), Olin Browne, Camilo Villegas (Col), Scott Verplank, Rocco Mediate
74 Brian Davis (Eng), Jonathan Kaye, Ted Purdy, Alan Morin, Greg Kraft, Matt Bettencourt, Peter Lonard (Aus), Mark Calcavecchia, Jimmy Walker, Ken Duke, Marc Turnesa, Stuart Appleby (Aus)
75 Brad Faxon, Steve Flesch, Jose Coceres (Arg), Jay Williamson, Troy Matteson, Mark Wilson, James Oh (Kor)
76 Robert Gamez, Peter Tomasulo, Ricky Barnes, Billy Andrade, Chris Couch, Chez Reavie
77 Brian Vranesh, Bill Haas, Tim Petrovic, Scott Gutschewski, Tom Pernice Jnr., Ryan Moore, Jason Bohn
78 Glen Day, Matt Weibring
79 Vaughn Taylor, Brandt Snedeker
81 Sal Spallone
82 David Duval
89 Mathias Gronberg (Swe)