"We want to come back, we want to support the tour, but you come back and all you do is cop abuse from the media"
/Thanks to reader Hugh for this Robert Allenby rant on the morbid state of Australian professional golf events. It seems we read about this argument every year...
In an unprompted tirade during a press conference ahead of this week's Australian Masters in Melbourne, Allenby accused the media of having driven former world No.1 Norman out of the country through constant negativity.
And he said a similar thing was being done to the latest generation of Australian players.
"It's quite amazing that everyone plays in America, they think (Australian players) are pretty awesome in how we play and they love us over there, but sometimes we're perceived that we're not that good in Australia," Allenby said.
"I think it comes down to that tall poppy syndrome that Greg Norman fought for a lot of years.
"If you look back and look at the abuse that the media did give Greg Norman, eventually he'd just had enough and said I'm not coming back.
"That's kind of what happens to a lot of players.
"I'm not saying that's the reason why Geoff (Ogilvy) and Adam (Scott) are not here (for the Masters), but sometimes it can wear on you, especially when we're over the other side of the world playing for most of the year.
"We want to come back, we want to support the tour, but you come back and all you do is cop abuse from the media ... I think that's really hurt Australian golf."