Golf: Australia's Robert Allenby pulls out of Humana Challenge after mugging

A view of the Amuse wine bar inside the Honolulu Design Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii. PGA Tour pro Robert Allenby says he was robbed and beaten after being kidnapped from the bar on January 17. He was later released in a park miles away from where he w
A view of the Amuse wine bar inside the Honolulu Design Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii. PGA Tour pro Robert Allenby says he was robbed and beaten after being kidnapped from the bar on January 17. He was later released in a park miles away from where he was attacked. -- PHOTO: AFP 

LA QUINTA, California (AFP) - Australian golfer Robert Allenby has withdrawn from this week's Humana Challenge after being beaten and robbed in Hawaii.

Allenby said in a statement on Tuesday that he was skipping the tournament in the California desert east of Los Angeles on the advice of his doctor.

"On the advice of my personal doctor, I have decided to withdraw from this week's Humana Challenge," Allenby said. "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." On Monday, Allenby insisted that the cuts and bruises on his face were proof that he was kidnapped, robbed and assaulted in Honolulu on Friday.

"It's such a shame that people are focusing on whether the story is true," Allenby said in the texts, according to the Golf Channel. "I say you only have to look at me to see the truth."

Allenby believes he was taken from a wine bar near Waikiki, where he had gone with friends after missing the cut in the Sony Open.

But he has no memory of the events that took him from the bar to a park where he later found himself, beaten and without his phone or wallet.

A passer-by helped him get back to his hotel, and police are investigating the incident.

"Once again, I would like to thank the local authorities in Hawaii as well as the PGA Tour for their assistance," Allenby said Tuesday. "I am also grateful for all the kind words of support I have received from so many people.

"Any further updates on the investigation will come from local law enforcement," he added.

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